0305.43.00.00 - Trout (Salmo trutta, Oncorhynchus mykiss, Oncorhynchus clarki, Oncorhynchus aguabonita, Oncorhynchus gilae, Oncorhynchus apache and Oncorhynchus chrysogaster)

This HTS category, 0305.43.00.00, specifically classifies smoked trout. This classification encompasses various species of trout, including but not limited to *Salmo trutta* (brown trout), and the *Oncorhynchus* genus, such as rainbow trout (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*), cutthroat trout (*Oncorhynchus clarki*), golden trout (*Oncorhynchus aguabonita*), Gila trout (*Oncorhynchus gilae*), Apache trout (*Oncorhynchus apache*), and Sacramento perch (*Oncorhynchus chrysogaster*). The key characteristic for this classification is that the fish must have undergone a smoking process, and the product is considered edible fish.

This classification is distinct from its sibling categories by the specific species of fish included. For instance, it differentiates from 0305.41.00.00 which covers various Pacific and Atlantic salmon species, and 0305.42.00 which pertains to herrings. Furthermore, it is separate from 0305.44.01.00, which includes a broader array of freshwater fish such as tilapia, catfish, carp, eels, Nile perch, and snakeheads. The "Other" subcategory, 0305.49, would capture any smoked fish not specifically enumerated in the preceding subcategories.

As this HTS code is a leaf node, there are no further subcategories under 0305.43.00.00. Therefore, classification at this level is definitive for smoked trout. When classifying, ensure the product is indeed trout and has been processed through smoking. The presence of any pre-cooking during the smoking process does not affect its classification within this category, as long as the primary processing method is smoking.