1602.42 - Shoulders and cuts thereof:

This HTS category, 1602.42, specifically covers shoulders and cuts derived from pork that have been prepared or preserved. This includes a variety of pork shoulder products that are not classified under other more specific headings. The preparation methods can encompass cooking, curing, salting, smoking, or canning, among others, as long as the primary component is pork shoulder or its direct cuts.

It is important to distinguish this category from its siblings. HTS 1602.41 covers only hams and cuts thereof, indicating a focus on a different primal cut of the swine. HTS 1602.49 is a residual category for other prepared or preserved swine meat, meat offal, blood, or insects, and is used for mixtures or products not specifically defined elsewhere. Therefore, 1602.42 is distinct by its exclusive focus on pork shoulders.

Subdivisions within 1602.42 further refine classification based on specific processing and packaging. The subcategory 1602.42.20 applies to boned pork shoulder products that have been cooked and then packed in airtight containers, suggesting a more processed and shelf-stable form. The subcategory 1602.42.40.00, designated as "Other," captures all remaining prepared or preserved pork shoulders and their cuts that do not meet the specific criteria of the "boned and cooked and packed in airtight containers" designation.