HS Code for Coffee

Coffee beans are classified in chapter 9 of the HTSUS, where heading 0901 covers coffee, whether or not roasted or decaffeinated. Two factors usually drive the subheading: whether the coffee is roasted or still green (unroasted), and whether it has been decaffeinated. Green coffee, not decaffeinated, points toward subheading 0901.11; green decaffeinated toward 0901.12; roasted, not decaffeinated toward 0901.21; and roasted decaffeinated toward 0901.22. Across these lines the general rate of duty is Free. Instant coffee, extracts and coffee-based preparations are handled separately and point toward heading 2101 instead.

Coffee beans sit in chapter 9 of the HTSUS, and heading 0901 is the natural starting point. That heading provides for coffee, whether or not roasted or decaffeinated, along with coffee husks and skins and coffee substitutes containing coffee. Whole beans, ground coffee and the raw green beans traded on the commodity markets all point toward heading 0901.

The first branch within the heading is whether the coffee has been roasted. Green (unroasted) beans point toward the 0901.1 subheadings, while roasted coffee points toward the 0901.2 subheadings. This is a physical, one-time change, so confirming whether the product ships green or already roasted is usually the clearest first step.

The second branch is decaffeination. Within both the green and roasted groups, the tariff separates coffee that has not been decaffeinated from coffee that has. Green, not decaffeinated points toward 0901.11 and green decaffeinated toward 0901.12; roasted, not decaffeinated points toward 0901.21 and roasted decaffeinated toward 0901.22. The statistical suffixes below these lines can further note whether the coffee is certified organic or in retail packaging, which is worth checking for reporting purposes.

A practical approach is to confirm the roast state first, then the caffeine state, then look to the statistical suffix for organic or packaging detail. That sequence usually points toward a single most-appropriate subheading to explore. Because heading 0901 provides for coffee specifically, it is generally better to stay within it than to reach for the prepared-food headings; in particular, instant or soluble coffee, coffee extracts, essences and concentrates, and preparations with a coffee basis point toward heading 2101, not 0901.

General duty rates for coffee beans are straightforward: green and roasted coffee, whether or not decaffeinated, carry a general rate of Free across subheadings 0901.11, 0901.12, 0901.21 and 0901.22. Because the general rate is already Free, the main reason to identify the right subheading is arriving at a better classification suggestion and correct statistical reporting rather than any change in estimated duty. Preferential programs such as free trade agreements or the Generalized System of Preferences would not lower an already-free rate, though they can matter for related coffee preparations classified elsewhere. Note that this Free treatment applies to coffee of heading 0901; instant coffee and coffee extracts under heading 2101 follow their own rates. These figures are estimates for general planning purposes only.