Heading 12.09 — Seeds, fruit and spores; of a kind used for sowi... 6-digit code

1209.30 Seeds of herbaceous plants; cultivated principally for their flowers, of a kind used for sowing

A full HS code. These six digits are what goes on a customs declaration, and they mean the same thing in every country that uses the Harmonized System.

Section II, Vegetable Products — plants, vegetables, fruit, nuts, coffee, tea, cereals, seeds and flours.

  1. 12 Chapter Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits; miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruit, industrial or medicinal plants; straw and fodder
  2. 09 Heading Seeds, fruit and spores; of a kind used for sowing
  3. 30 Subheading Seeds of herbaceous plants; cultivated principally for their flowers, of a kind used for sowing

Chapter 12 covers oil seeds and oleaginous fruits (soybeans, sunflower seed, rapeseed, groundnuts), plus miscellaneous grains, seeds, industrial or medicinal plants, straw and animal fodder. It's an agricultural-input chapter feeding into vegetable oil (chapter 15) and animal feed supply chains. Classification tip: Whether seed is intended for sowing versus crushing for oil can change both the applicable code and any phytosanitary/GMO documentation required, so confirm end-use before filing.

All of chapter 12

Other codes under 12.09

1209.10 Seed; sugar beet seeds, of a kind used for sowing 1209.21 Seeds of forage plants; lucerne (alfalfa) seeds, of a kind used for sowing 1209.22 Seeds of forage plants; clover (Trifolium spp.) seeds, of a kind used for sowing 1209.23 Seeds of forage plants; fescue seeds, of a kind used for sowing 1209.24 Seeds of forage plants; Kentucky blue grass (Poa pratensis L.) seeds, of a kind used for sowing 1209.25 Seeds of forage plants; rye grass (Lolium multiflorum Lam., Lolium perenne L.) seeds, of a kind used for sowing 1209.29 Seeds of forage plants; other than lucerne, clover, fescue, Kentucky blue grass, and rye grass seeds, of a kind used for sowing 1209.91 Seeds; vegetable seeds, of a kind used for sowing 1209.99 Seeds; n.e.c. in heading 1209, of a kind used for sowing

The wording above is the Harmonized System nomenclature as published by the World Customs Organization, HS 2022 edition. It is a classification reference, not a tariff: it carries no duty rates, and it stops at six digits — the importing country adds its own beyond that.

Classification is decided by the General Rules of Interpretation and the section and chapter notes, and it is the importing country’s customs authority that makes it binding.

Shipping goods under 1209.30? A customs hold shows up as a milestone that stops moving — follow the container or the air waybill from departure to delivery.

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1209.30 FAQ

1209.30 covers seeds of herbaceous plants; cultivated principally for their flowers, of a kind used for sowing. It sits under heading 12.09 (seeds, fruit and spores; of a kind used for sowing) in chapter 12, Section II of the Harmonized System.

It is the international part of it. Six digits are the same in every country that applies the Harmonized System; the importing country then extends them to eight or ten for its own tariff and statistics. Declare 1209.30 plus whatever national digits the destination’s tariff schedule adds to it.

The General Rules of Interpretation, read together with the notes to Section II and to chapter 12. A description that reads right is not enough on its own — the notes routinely pull goods out of the chapter they obviously belong to and put them somewhere else. Where duty or licensing turns on the answer, ask the importing country’s customs authority for a binding ruling.

A wrong or missing code is one of the common reasons customs holds a container, and a hold shows up as a milestone that stops moving. Watch for it in the container tracking app, on the air waybill in the air cargo tracker, or through the tracking API.

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