2401.30.25.35 - Fire-cured Kentucky and Tennessee

This HTS classification covers specific types of unmanufactured tobacco refuse, specifically tobacco stems that have been cut, ground, or pulverized. This category is intended for tobacco refuse that is not intended for use in the manufacture of cigarettes. The processing method of cutting, grinding, or pulverizing is a key differentiator for this subcategory, indicating a further breakdown of the tobacco stems for potential use in other tobacco products.

Distinguishing this category from its siblings, it focuses exclusively on *stems* that are processed into smaller particles. Other sibling categories at the same level describe different types of cured or air-cured tobacco, or even processed stems for different end uses. For example, flue-cured and burley tobaccos are distinct leaf types, while "dark air-cured Kentucky and Tennessee" refers to a different curing process and might include leaf as well as stems. The defining characteristic here is the physical state of the tobacco stems – cut, ground, or pulverized – and their intended use outside of cigarette production.

As this is a leaf node within the HTS structure, there are no further subcategories under 2401.30.25.35. This means that once tobacco stems are identified as refuse, have undergone cutting, grinding, or pulverizing, and are destined for products other than cigarettes, they fall directly into this specific classification. Classification professionals should therefore ensure that the material meets all these criteria to accurately assign this code, considering the nature of the material as stems, the processing applied, and the intended downstream application.