1604.13.20.00 - Neither skinned nor boned

This HTS category, 1604.13.20.00, encompasses prepared or preserved sardines, sardinella, brisling, or sprats that are packed in oil within airtight containers and are neither skinned nor boned. This means the fish are presented in their whole form, or in pieces that still retain their skin and bones, and are preserved in oil, such as olive oil or soybean oil, and sealed in cans, pouches, or similar containers to ensure preservation. The primary characteristic for classification here is the presence of skin and bones in the processed fish.

This classification is distinguished from its sibling category, 1604.13.30.00, by the absence of skinning and boning processes. While both categories pertain to sardines, sardinella, brisling, or sprats in oil in airtight containers, the key differentiator lies in the physical preparation of the fish. If the fish have undergone processes to remove their skin and bones, they would fall under the sibling category. Therefore, the presence of skin and bones on the fish is the critical factor for determining classification under 1604.13.20.00.

As this is a leaf node in the HTS structure, there are no further subcategories to introduce. Classification at this level is definitive based on the described product characteristics: sardines, sardinella, brisling, or sprats, packed in oil in airtight containers, and crucially, neither skinned nor boned. Examples of products fitting this description would include whole brisling or sardines packed in olive oil where the skin and bones are intact.