Fresh or Chilled Bone-In Sheep & Lamb Cuts

The US schedule breaks out shoulders (0204222010), legs (0204222020), and loins (0204222030) as distinct 10-digit lines, with a residual line (0204222090) covering all other bone-in lamb cuts. Sheep cuts that are not specifically lamb fall under 0204220000. Correct classification depends on the species designation and the specific primal cut, so misclassification between lamb and sheep lines is a common audit risk.

Fresh chilled lamb has a limited shelf life, so transit time from Australia or New Zealand — the dominant suppliers — is a critical factor. Importers typically use air freight or fast sea routes and must coordinate FSIS port-of-entry inspection scheduling to avoid delays that could compromise product condition or push shipments past their use-by window.