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BBQ Charcoal

HS Code 4402.90 & Import Duties by Market

A charcoal export file carries the commercial invoice, the packing list, the transport documents and the safety data sheet, with the goods classified under HS 4402.90 and declared as UN 1361 for sea carriage. Getting the classification and the dangerous-goods declaration right at booking is what keeps a shipment off hold at the load port.

Coconut-shell BBQ charcoal is classified under HS 4402.90.0000, and it enters the United States at a 0% MFN base under US Customs ruling N306942 — confirm any current US import surcharge (e.g. a Section 122 measure) with your broker. Duties vary by destination, so the table below is a starting point — confirm with a binding ruling for the country you import into.

HS Code & Duty By Market

Customs classification and indicative duty by destination Method / source: WCO Harmonized System heading 4402 (wood / shell charcoal); US CBP ruling N306942
Market HS code Import duty Basis
United States 4402.90.0000 0% MFN base (confirm surcharge) CBP ruling N306942
European Union 4402.90 0% (MFN) EU Common Customs Tariff
GCC (Gulf states) 4402.90 ~5% Common external tariff

⚠ Verify before publishing

The GCC ~5% figure is the common external tariff and varies by member state and current ruling. Verify the applicable duty for the specific Gulf destination before quoting.

Verified as of — re-check the source before relying on this for a shipment.

Cartons are stacked to a fixed pattern on the pallet, strapped and stretch-wrapped so the load stays square through handling and sea transit. Charcoal moves as UN 1361 under IMDG class 4.2, and the self-heating test called up by special provision SP 978 governs how a consignment is tested and declared before it is booked.

Two Subheadings — Pick The Right One

Heading 4402 splits into just two operative subheadings: 4402.10 of bamboo and 4402.90 other. Coconut-shell BBQ charcoal — whether pure shell or the hardwood-blended briquette with a tapioca binder — is wood charcoal, other, so it classifies under 4402.90 (the basis of US ruling N306942). A “4402.20 of shell or nut” line is sometimes cited but is not an operative WCO subheading for coconut charcoal, and using it can misclassify the entry. Confirm the exact 8–10-digit line for your destination at filing; declaring the wrong subheading is a common cause of customs delay.

Because classification can hinge on composition and a customs officer’s reading, we recommend requesting a binding tariff ruling in each destination before the first shipment. Some destinations are duty-free by trade agreement rather than by MFN rate — Australia, for example, is duty-free under IA-CEPA, detailed on the import charcoal into Australia — biosecurity & duty page.

Questions

4402.90.0000. US Customs ruling N306942 classifies coconut-shell charcoal here at a 0% MFN base; confirm any current US import surcharge (e.g. Section 122) with your broker before you quote a landed cost.

4402.90. WCO heading 4402 splits only into 4402.10 ("of bamboo") and 4402.90 ("other"); coconut-shell charcoal is wood charcoal, other, so it is 4402.90 (the basis of CBP ruling N306942). A "4402.20 of shell or nut" line is sometimes cited but is not an operative subheading for coconut charcoal — using it can misclassify the entry.

Yes — classification can hinge on composition and the customs officer’s reading, so a binding tariff ruling per destination removes that risk before the first shipment.

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