Dried, Salted, Brined, or Smoked Lobsters (Homarus spp.)

Smoked seafood is subject to specific FDA HACCP requirements addressing Listeria monocytogenes and Clostridium botulinum, in addition to general seafood HACCP regulations. Foreign processors must have validated smoking and chilling processes documented in their HACCP plans. FDA may sample smoked lobster for pathogen testing at entry, and shipments from facilities with a history of violations may be placed under automatic detention. Consult a licensed customs broker or FDA compliance specialist before importing smoked lobster products.

Heading 030692 covers lobster that is dried, salted, in brine, or smoked but not otherwise prepared or preserved in the sense of Chapter 16 (prepared foods). Cooked lobster meat in hermetically sealed containers or in sauces would typically fall under Chapter 16 rather than Chapter 3. The distinction turns on the degree of preparation: simple preservation methods (salting, drying, smoking) keep the product in Chapter 3, while further cooking or formulation generally moves it to Chapter 16. A licensed customs broker should be consulted when the product straddles these categories.