Prepared or Preserved Sardines, Sardinella, and Brisling or Sprats (Not Minced)

Duty treatment for sardines and related small pelagic fish varies significantly across the six 10-digit lines in this heading, with distinctions drawn by smoking method, skin-and-bone status, oil medium, container size, and whether the product meets specific value thresholds — for example, smoked sardines in oil in cans meeting a per-tin price floor (1604131000). Poland and Morocco are the leading US import sources, followed by Thailand, Vietnam, and Ecuador. FDA seafood HACCP requirements apply at entry, and the value-based line at 1604131000 means that invoice pricing documentation is directly relevant to classification. Importers should verify species identity, as sardinella and sprats carry the same heading but may differ in duty treatment at the 10-digit level.