0902 - Tea, whether or not flavored:

This HTS category, 0902, encompasses tea in all its forms, whether flavored or unflavored. This includes a broad range of tea products intended for consumption, originating from the *Camellia sinensis* plant. The classification is broad, covering the raw tea leaves, processed tea, and even those that have undergone flavoring processes.

When classifying within Chapter 9, which deals with coffee, tea, maté and spices, it is important to differentiate tea from other beverages and foodstuffs. While siblings in Chapter 1, for example, focus on live animals, HTS 0902 is specifically dedicated to processed plant products for infusion. This category's primary characteristic is the botanical origin of the product and its common use as a beverage.

The subdivisions within 0902 further refine the classification based on the processing method of the tea leaves. Subcategories distinguish between green tea (unfermented), black tea (fully fermented), and partly fermented teas. These distinctions are crucial for accurate tariff assessment and are based on the oxidation process the tea leaves have undergone. Each subcategory may also have further distinctions based on packaging size.