2401.10.95.10 - Fire-cured Kentucky and Tennessee

This HTS classification, 2401.10.95.10, specifically designates fire-cured unmanufactured tobacco originating from the Kentucky and Tennessee regions of the United States. This category encompasses tobacco leaves that have undergone a curing process using smoke from slow-burning hardwood fires. This method imparts a distinctive aroma and flavor profile to the tobacco, crucial for its intended use in certain types of cigarettes, cigars, and pipe tobacco.

This classification is distinguished from its sibling categories primarily by the specific curing method and geographical origin. For instance, 2401.10.95.15 covers dark-air cured Kentucky and Tennessee tobacco, which relies on natural air circulation for curing, resulting in a different chemical composition and sensory characteristics. Similarly, other sibling categories delineate Virginia fire-cured, Virginia sun-cured, and Blackfat tobaccos, each defined by their unique curing processes and regional cultivation. The "Other" classification at 2401.10.95.60 serves as a residual category for fire-cured Kentucky and Tennessee tobacco not meeting the precise criteria of 2401.10.95.10.

As this node represents a leaf node in the HTS structure, there are no further subcategories. Therefore, the focus remains on the specific definition of fire-cured Kentucky and Tennessee tobacco and its precise placement within the broader context of unmanufactured tobacco, not stemmed or stripped, and not containing wrapper tobacco, or not containing over 35 percent wrapper tobacco. Classification at this level hinges on the confirmed fire-curing method and its origin within these specified American states.