0305 - Fish, dried, salted or in brine; smoked fish, whether or not cooked before or during the smoking process:
Sub-classifications
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0305 2020 00
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0305 2040
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Overview
This HTS category, 0305, encompasses a wide variety of fish products that have undergone specific preservation methods. It specifically covers fish that have been dried, salted, or preserved in brine. Additionally, it includes smoked fish, regardless of whether the fish was cooked prior to or during the smoking process. The key characteristic distinguishing this category is the combination of specific preservation techniques applied to the fish.
Category 0305 should be distinguished from other Chapter 3 headings which focus on live fish (e.g., 0301), fresh or chilled fish (e.g., 0302), or frozen fish (e.g., 0303). While those categories deal with fish in a less processed state, 0305 deals with products where drying, salting, brining, or smoking has fundamentally altered their state and intended shelf life. This means that fish that have only been frozen or chilled, even if later dried or salted, would be classified elsewhere.
Within the 0305 framework, further subdivisions are made based on the specific type of fish product and the exact preservation method. These include distinct subheadings for fish livers, roes, and milt when dried, smoked, salted, or in brine. Other subcategories differentiate between smoked fish (including fillets), dried fish (excluding offal), and fish that are salted but not dried or smoked, or fish in brine (again, excluding offal). Edible fish offal, such as fins, heads, tails, and maws, when preserved in these ways, are also addressed in specific subheadings.