Frozen skipjack fillets and minced meat remain in Chapter 3 as long as they are not cooked or further processed beyond cutting, filleting, or mincing. Once the tuna is cooked (e.g., pre-cooked loins) or packed in oil, brine, or sauce, it typically moves to Chapter 16 as a prepared or preserved fish product, carrying a different HTS number and potentially different duty treatment.

These three countries collectively process a large share of global skipjack supply, meaning that regional disruptions — such as El Niño-driven fish stock shifts, labor disputes, or trade-remedy actions — can simultaneously affect multiple supplier options. Importers with high volume reliance on this corridor often maintain contingency sourcing relationships with Pacific Island processors or Latin American suppliers to manage concentration risk.