31 Fertilizers
The broadest level of the Harmonized System. Pick the heading below that fits your goods, then the six-digit code under it — that last one is what you declare.
Section VI, Chemical Products — inorganic and organic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, fertilisers, paints and cosmetics.
- 31 Chapter Fertilizers
- —— Heading Pick one of the 5 headings below
- —— Subheading Six digits, the level every country shares
Chapter 31 covers fertilizers: nitrogenous, phosphatic and potassic fertilizers, both mineral/chemical and animal or vegetable-based, plus mixed formulations. Classification generally follows the primary nutrient content (N, P, K) and whether the product is a single or mixed fertilizer. Classification tip: Single-nutrient versus mixed (compound) fertilizers sit on different subheadings, and the exact N-P-K ratio stated on the label is usually what customs checks against the declared code.
5 headings in chapter 31
Four-digit groups. Pick the one that fits, then the six-digit code inside it.
- 31.01 Fertilizers; animal or vegetable, whether or not mixed together or chemically treated; fertilizers produced by the mixing or chemical treatment of animal or vegetable products 1 code
- 31.02 Fertilizers; mineral or chemical, nitrogenous 9 codes
- 31.03 Fertilizers; mineral or chemical, phosphatic 3 codes
- 31.04 Fertilizers; mineral or chemical, potassic 3 codes
- 31.05 Fertilizers; mineral or chemical, containing 2 or 3 of the elements nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium; other fertilisers; goods of chapter 31 in tablets or packages of gross weight not exceeding 10kg 8 codes
Other chapters in Section VI
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 from chapter 31? A customs hold shows up as a milestone that stops moving — follow the container or the air waybill from departure to delivery.
Track a shipmentChapter 31 FAQ
Chapter 31 covers fertilizers: nitrogenous, phosphatic and potassic fertilizers, both mineral/chemical and animal or vegetable-based, plus mixed formulations. Classification generally follows the primary nutrient content (N, P, K) and whether the product is a single or mixed fertilizer. Classification tip: Single-nutrient versus mixed (compound) fertilizers sit on different subheadings, and the exact N-P-K ratio stated on the label is usually what customs checks against the declared code.
Pick the heading below that describes the goods, then the six-digit subheading under it. Six digits is the level the Harmonized System defines and the level customs everywhere recognises; anything beyond that is added by the importing country.
The General Rules of Interpretation, read together with the notes to Section VI and to chapter 31. 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.