U.S. imports of Vegetable Seeds for Sowing (HS 120991) totaled $37.6M in August 2026, imported from 55 countries.
Importers of Vegetable Seeds for Sowing paid $768K in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 2.04% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule. Vegetable Seeds for Sowing imports of $37.6M in August 2026 ran 26% above the year-to-date monthly average of $29.9M.
Last updated: August 2026 dataVegetable seeds for sowing span more than twenty distinct US tariff lines under heading 120991, covering crops from cauliflower and broccoli to tomato, lettuce, cucumber, and pepper — each classified by species rather than by variety or hybrid status. Chile is the leading US supplier, a position built on its counter-seasonal growing conditions and long-standing role as a seed multiplication hub for Northern Hemisphere vegetable breeders. France and the Netherlands are also significant sources, reflecting Europe's concentration of major vegetable seed companies. USDA APHIS phytosanitary inspection applies at entry, and seed lots must comply with the Federal Seed Act's labeling and purity requirements before commercial distribution.
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573 import shipments a month
Chile's counter-seasonal climate relative to the Northern Hemisphere allows seed companies based in Europe and North America to multiply seed during the Northern Hemisphere's off-season, accelerating breeding cycles and ensuring year-round supply. Its dry summers in key growing regions also reduce disease pressure during seed maturation, improving seed quality and germination rates. This makes Chile a preferred multiplication destination for many major vegetable seed companies.
The US schedule assigns separate 10-digit lines to broccoli (1209918005), green cabbage (1209918008), other cabbage (1209918009), kale (1209918045), and kohlrabi (1209918047). Correct classification requires species and crop identification on the commercial invoice and phytosanitary certificate. Mixed brassica seed lots or mislabeled shipments risk reclassification at entry; importers should ensure supplier documentation specifies the exact crop type. Consult a licensed customs broker for classification guidance on complex lots.
Trade Directory
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HS10 import codes under this HS6 parent, each with its own page. Source: U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
HS10 export codes under this HS6 parent, each with its own page. Source: U.S. Schedule B export classification.
Import lines come from the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule and export lines from Schedule B. The two are numbered by different agencies, so the same 10-digit code can appear in both tables describing a different product.
ImportsExports
Imports
$37.6MYoY · free account
Exports
$25.7MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $357.7M of Vegetable Seeds for Sowing and exported $604.8M.
Through August 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Subheading 1 of 10 in heading 1209
Subheading 120991 · $37.6M of $56.6M
Imports · August 2026
origin
customs district
destination
entry
rate provision · imports
41.8% enters free of duty; duty collected equals 2.04% of imports for consumption.