Fresh or Chilled Toothfish Fillets

The CCAMLR CDS is an international tracking system requiring that every toothfish shipment be accompanied by a catch document certifying the vessel, flag state, fishing area, and quota authorization. The US implemented the CDS requirement through the Antarctic Marine Living Resources Convention Act; NOAA Fisheries reviews the documentation at entry, and shipments lacking valid CDS certificates are refused entry. This requirement exists because toothfish has historically been a target of large-scale IUU fishing.

For US tariff classification purposes, the product is classified as toothfish (Dissostichus spp.) regardless of the trade name used. However, FDA requires that fish sold at retail or in foodservice use the accepted market name — 'Chilean sea bass' is an FDA-accepted name for Dissostichus eleginoides. Importers should ensure that commercial invoices reference both the scientific name and the accepted market name to satisfy both CBP classification and FDA labeling requirements.