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Subheading 3 of 18 in heading 1605
Subheading 160530 · $52.4M of $292.2M
U.S. imports of lobster, prepared or preserved (HS 160530) totaled $52.4M in July 2026, traded with 9 countries.
Importers of Lobster, Prepared or Preserved paid $29K in duties in July 2026 — an effective duty rate of 11% on $260K in dutiable value, based on actual customs collections rather than the published tariff schedule. Lobster, Prepared or Preserved imports of $52.4M in July 2026 ran 58% above the year-to-date monthly average of $33.1M.
Last updated: July 2026 dataCanada is the dominant US supplier of prepared and preserved lobster, a natural consequence of its proximity and the scale of Atlantic Canada's lobster fishery, though Japan, Indonesia, and Spain also appear among leading sources — reflecting both re-export trade and spiny lobster processing outside North America. The US tariff schedule under this heading distinguishes products with fish meat or prepared meals (1605300500 series), water-cooked out-of-shell meat in frozen and non-frozen forms (1605301010 and 1605301030), airtight-container formats (1605301020 and 1605301050), and other preserved presentations (1605301040 and 1605301090). FDA governs admissibility, and importers should note that the "cooked by water and out of shell" lines require accurate processing-method documentation to avoid misclassification into the broader NESOI lines. Seasonality in the Atlantic lobster harvest can create supply-chain timing pressures for processors sourcing raw material before the peak canning season.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
395 shipments/mo
Lines 1605301010 (frozen) and 1605301030 (not frozen) specifically require that the lobster meat be cooked by water (boiled or steamed) and removed from the shell. Lobster prepared by other cooking methods, or product that remains in-shell, would fall into the NESOI lines (1605301040 or 1605301090). Suppliers should provide processing certificates or production records confirming the cooking method to support the correct classification.
Products that contain fish meat as an ingredient alongside lobster, or that constitute prepared meals, are directed to the 1605300500 series (with sub-lines for airtight and non-airtight formats) rather than the pure lobster lines. This distinction matters because the fish-meat lines may carry different duty rates, and the presence of fish meat can also affect FDA labeling requirements for allergen and species disclosure.
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HS10 import codes under this HS6 parent, each with its own page. Source: U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
| Code | Description | Import Value | Effective Tariff % | Dutiable Share | Duty Collected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1605301010 | Lobster Meat Cookd by Water & Out of Shell, Frozen | $42.1M | 0.0087% | 0.09% | $4K |
| 1605301050 | Lobster Prep/Preservd NESOI, In Airtight Container | $4.6M | 0.00% | 0.00% | -- |
| 1605301030 | Lobster Meat Cookd by Water & Out of Shell Nt Frzn | $3.9M | 0.00% | 0.00% | -- |
| 1605301090 | Lobster Prepared or Preserved, NESOI | $1.8M | 1.42% | 12.30% | $26K |
| 1605300510 | Lobster Prodts Wth Fish Meat/Prep Meal Airtit Cntr | $0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 1605300590 | Lobster Products Wth Fish Meat/Prepard Meals NESOI | $0 | -- | -- | -- |
HS10 export codes under this HS6 parent, each with its own page. Source: U.S. Schedule B export classification.
| Code | Description | Export Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1605301040 | Lobster, Prepared or Preserved, NESOI | $95K |
| 1605300500 | Lobster Products With Fish Meat; Prepared Meals | $3K |
Import lines come from the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule and export lines from Schedule B. The two are numbered by different agencies, so the same 10-digit code can appear in both tables describing a different product.
ImportsExports
Imports
$52.4MYoY · Pro
Exports
$98KYoY · Pro
12-mo low · imports
YoY · ProThrough July 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Imports · July 2026
origin
Canada and Japan together supply 100% of it.
customs district
destination
entry
rate provision · imports
99.5% enters free of duty; the effective duty rate is 0.06%.