1302.32.00.20 - Guar

This HTS subheading, 1302.32.00.20, specifically covers guar gum, which is derived from the seeds of the guar plant. Guar gum is a polysaccharide widely utilized as a thickening, stabilizing, and emulsifying agent in various industries, including food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and paper manufacturing. Its classification under mucilages and thickeners highlights its functional properties as a hydrocolloid.

At this level of detail, it's important to distinguish guar gum from its sibling category, 1302.32.00.40, which pertains to locust beans. While both are derived from leguminous seeds and function as thickeners, guar gum originates from the guar plant (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba), whereas locust bean gum is extracted from the seeds of the carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua). The source material and resulting chemical composition differentiate these two categories.

As this subheading is a leaf node within the HTS structure, there are no further subcategories to introduce. Classification at this point is definitive for guar gum, focusing on its origin from guar seeds and its primary function as a vegetable-derived mucilage or thickener.