Crustaceans — HTS 0306
Crustaceans, whether in shell or not, live, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted or in brine; smoked crustaceans, whether in shell or not, whether or not cooked before or during the smoking process; crustaceans, in shell, cooked by steaming or by boiling in water, whether or not chilled, frozen, dried, salted or in brine
Chapter 03 › Heading 0306
2026 HTS Rev 19 Synced Rules verified Operational
Written to help non-specialists understand this page. Rates, dates, and legal facts come from the official records above and on the linked source.
HTS heading 0306 is a four-digit product category for crustaceans, such as shrimp, prawns, crabs, lobsters, crayfish, and similar aquatic animals. It can include products that are live, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted, in brine, or smoked. It also covers crustaceans in shell that were cooked by steaming or boiling, including products that were later chilled, frozen, dried, salted, or placed in brine.
Heading 0306 is only the starting point, not the final import classification. To reach the correct eight-digit HTSUS subheading, first identify the crustacean and its form or processing condition. The tariff structure may then distinguish the product by type, such as shrimp or crab, and by details such as whether it is in shell, prepared in a particular way, or otherwise described in the relevant subheading. Confirm the exact wording and any statistical suffix requirements in the current HTSUS, and seek a customs broker or binding ruling when the facts are unclear.
What to check
- Identify the species or commercial type precisely, including whether it is shrimp, crab, lobster, crayfish, or another crustacean.
- Record the product’s condition at import: live, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted, in brine, smoked, or cooked by steaming or boiling.
- Check whether the product is in shell or not, and distinguish simple cooking or preservation from preparation that may place it in another tariff heading.
- Read the complete eight-digit HTSUS description and any applicable statistical notes; do not classify from the four-digit heading alone.
- Keep product specifications, processing records, labels, and supplier documents, and ask a customs broker or request a binding ruling if competing classifications are plausible.
HTS heading 0306 summary
Crustaceans is a 4-digit product category containing 17 published product-code lines in this snapshot. A heading does not carry one universal duty rate; classification must be narrowed to the line matching the product facts.
How to find your code in this category
A heading is a product category. To get the exact duty, narrow from this 4-digit heading to a sub-category (usually by material), then open the 8-digit code that matches your product.
Open any code in the tables below to see its exact duty rate, a duty calculator (enter your shipment value → estimated duty and landed cost), the rate-change history chart, and the country-by-country breakdown (including Section 301/232 add-on duties).
Why you have to click in: a single category can contain products with very different duties. The rate depends on the specific product — its material and construction — and on the country of origin, and those only get pinned down at the 8-digit code level. That is why this page points you to codes instead of showing one rate for the whole category.
Sub-categories
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 0306.14 | Crabs |
| 0306.33 | Crabs |
| 0306.93 | Crabs |
Product codes & duty rates
👇 Each row is a specific product code — click a blue code to open its full page with exact duty rates by country, the rate-history chart, and a duty calculator. 👉
| Code | Description | General (MFN) | Special | Column 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0306.11.00 👉 | Rock lobster and other sea crawfish (Palinurus spp., Panulirus spp., Jasus spp.) | Free | — | Free |
| 0306.12.00 👉 | Lobsters (Homarus spp.) | Free | — | Free |
| 0306.15.00.00 👉 | Norway lobsters (Nephrops norvegicus) | Free | — | Free |
| 0306.16.00 👉 | Cold-water shrimps and prawns (Pandalus spp., Crangon crangon) | Free | — | Free |
| 0306.17.00 👉 | Other shrimps and prawns | Free | — | Free |
| 0306.19.01 👉 | Other | Free | — | Free |
| 0306.31.00.00 👉 | Rock lobster and other sea crawfish (Palinurus spp., Panulirus spp., Jasus spp.) | Free | — | Free |
| 0306.32.00 👉 | Lobsters (Homarus spp.) | Free | — | Free |
| 0306.34.00.00 👉 | Norway lobsters (Nephrops norvegicus) | Free | — | Free |
| 0306.35.00 👉 | Cold-water shrimps and prawns (Pandalus spp., Crangon crangon) | Free | — | Free |
| 0306.36.00 👉 | Other shrimps and prawns | Free | — | Free |
| 0306.39.01.00 👉 | Other | Free | — | Free |
| 0306.91.00.00 👉 | Rock lobster and other sea crawfish (Palinurus spp., Panulirus spp., Jasus spp.) | Free | — | Free |
| 0306.92.00.00 👉 | Lobsters (Homarus spp.) | Free | — | Free |
| 0306.94.00.00 👉 | Norway lobsters (Nephrops norvegicus) | Free | — | Free |
| 0306.95.00 👉 | Shrimps and prawns | Free | — | Free |
| 0306.99.01.00 👉 | Other | Free | — | Free |
"Special" shows the free-trade-agreement rate; open a code to see exactly which countries qualify.
Common questions
What products fall under HTS heading 0306?
Crustaceans, whether in shell or not, live, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted or in brine; smoked crustaceans, whether in shell or not, whether or not cooked before or during the smoking process; crustaceans, in shell, cooked by steaming or by boiling in water, whether or not chilled, frozen, dried, salted or in brine. To classify a specific item you must pick the matching sub-category and 8-digit code above; the right choice usually depends on the material and construction of the product.
How do I choose the right code within this category?
Start from the sub-categories (typically divided by material—for example cotton versus man-made fibers), then open the active 8- or 10-digit code that matches the product. When unsure, a licensed customs broker or a CBP binding ruling can confirm the classification.
Reference information only, not customs, legal, or classification advice. Confirm the current code and rate against the official HTS before you import.