1302.39.00.10 - Carrageenan

This HTS category, 1302.39.00.10, specifically covers Carrageenan. Carrageenan is a hydrocolloid derived from red seaweed, widely utilized as a gelling agent, stabilizer, and thickener in the food industry, as well as in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Its unique functional properties, stemming from its polysaccharide structure, make it a distinct product within the broader classification of vegetable mucilages and thickeners.

Within the "Other" designation at the 1302.39 level, 1302.39.00.10 is specifically assigned to Carrageenan, differentiating it from the more general "Other" category (1302.39.00.90) which would encompass other unlisted vegetable-derived mucilages and thickeners not elsewhere specified. The inclusion of a specific code for Carrageenan acknowledges its commercial significance and distinct sourcing and functional characteristics.

As a leaf node, this classification does not have further subcategories. The classification of Carrageenan is definitive at this level, meaning that any product meeting the definition of Carrageenan will fall under this specific HTS code, provided it is derived from vegetable sources and functions as a mucilage or thickener. The key to classification here lies in the material origin (red seaweed) and the product's identity as Carrageenan.