2401.20.57.25 - Virginia sun-cured

This HTS classification, 2401.20.57.25, specifically identifies "Virginia sun-cured" unmanufactured tobacco. This category encompasses tobacco leaves that have undergone a sun-curing process, a traditional method where tobacco is dried and cured outdoors by direct exposure to sunlight. This process imparts distinct characteristics, including a lighter color and a generally milder flavor profile compared to tobaccos cured by fire or air. The leaves are unmanufactured, meaning they have not been further processed into cigarettes or other finished tobacco products, and they are partly or wholly stemmed or stripped, indicating that the main stem has been removed.

Distinguishing this category from its siblings is crucial for accurate classification. Unlike "Virginia fire-cured" (2401.20.57.20) or "Dark-air cured Kentucky and Tennessee" (2401.20.57.15), the defining characteristic here is the exclusive use of sunlight for the curing process, not artificial heat or air circulation. While "Fire-cured Kentucky and Tennessee" (2401.20.57.10) also implies a specific curing method and origin, this subcategory focuses solely on the Virginia varietal cured by sun. The "Blackfat" (2401.20.57.30) and "Other" (2401.20.57.40) categories at this level would encompass tobaccos with different curing methods or varietals not otherwise specified.

As this is a leaf node, there are no further subcategories under 2401.20.57.25. Therefore, classification is finalized at this point based on the identification of Virginia sun-cured unmanufactured tobacco, partly or wholly stemmed/stripped, not threshed or similarly processed, and not containing wrapper tobacco or containing not over 35 percent wrapper tobacco. The primary classification criteria are the specific varietal (Virginia), the curing method (sun-cured), and the processing stage (unmanufactured, stemmed/stripped).