Unmanufactured Tobacco, Partly or Wholly Stemmed or Stripped

Stemmed and stripped tobacco — whether threshed or not — is the primary form in which unmanufactured leaf moves in bulk international trade, as removing the midrib reduces weight and volume for shipping. The US schedule is exceptionally detailed, separating flue-cured, Burley, Oriental/Turkish, dark-fired Kentucky/Tennessee, Maryland, and cigar-leaf types, and further subdividing by threshing status and US note eligibility (e.g., 2401208510, 2401208520). Brazil and the Dominican Republic lead supply, with the Philippines, Zimbabwe, and Guatemala also significant. Certain lines are reserved for tobacco not used in cigarette manufacture, a distinction that affects both classification and downstream excise treatment.