U.S. imports of Cheese, Not Elsewhere Specified (SITC 02499) totaled $160.7M in August 2026, imported from 66 countries.
Importers of Cheese, Not Elsewhere Specified paid $18.6M in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 11.59% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule. Cheese, Not Elsewhere Specified imports of $160.7M in August 2026 ran 19% above the year-to-date monthly average of $134.6M.
Last updated: August 2026 dataThe residual 'not elsewhere specified' cheese category captures specialty and artisan varieties that do not fit neatly into the named headings for processed, blue-veined, grated, or fresh cheese — including washed-rind, smoked, mixed-milk, and other craft styles increasingly sought by US specialty retailers and restaurants. Classification into this residual heading requires ruling out all more-specific categories, making a careful compositional and production-method analysis essential before entry. USDA FSIS admissibility requirements apply regardless of variety, and importers of novel or unfamiliar cheese types should consider seeking a binding ruling to avoid reclassification risk. The diversity of products in this heading means that duty exposure and TRQ applicability can vary significantly by specific HTS subheading.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
4.2K import shipments a month
A binding ruling from US Customs and Border Protection is advisable when a cheese variety has unusual compositional characteristics — such as mixed animal milks, non-standard fat content, or atypical processing — that make it unclear whether it belongs in a named heading (blue-veined, processed, fresh) or the NES residual. A ruling provides legal certainty on classification and the applicable duty rate before the first shipment arrives.
Smoked or flavored natural cheeses that are not grated, powdered, processed, blue-veined, or fresh may indeed classify here. However, if flavoring or added ingredients are substantial enough to change the essential character of the product — for example, a cheese spread with significant non-dairy additions — it may shift to a food preparation heading. Compositional analysis and ingredient documentation are key to supporting the correct classification.
Basic heading 24 of 337 in section 0
Basic heading 02499 · $160.7M of $14.7B
Trade Directory
List your company and tag the 6-digit products you trade, so the companies trading them can find you. Be the first supplier listed.
Imports · August 2026
origin
Italy and France together supply 46% of it.
customs district
Census does not publish district detail for this classification system.
destination
Census does not publish state detail for this classification system.
entry
Census does not publish port detail for this classification system.
ImportsExports
Imports
$160.7MYoY · free account
Exports
$113.1MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $1.5B of Cheese, Not Elsewhere Specified and exported $1.3B.
Through August 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.