Which HS code does freeze-dried coconut ship under, and what does each market check?

Freeze-dried coconut ships under HS heading 0801, coconuts fresh or dried, and in the four main markets that heading is duty-free or zero-rated: 0% in the EU for any origin, free of general duty in the US, 0% in the UK. What each market checks is not the tariff but the paperwork and the microbiology. In the US that means Salmonella under FDA Import Alert 23-12; in the EU, residue and border checks; in the UAE, Halal and Arabic labels. This guide sets out the line, the duty, the documents and the tests by market, so your first container clears on the first attempt.

0801.11 or 0801.19: which subheading fits freeze-dried coconut?

Most freeze-dried cuts are declared under 0801.11 (desiccated coconut). Some customs offices read large chunks and cubes as 0801.19 (other coconuts, fresh or dried). Both sit at the same duty in the EU, US and UK, so the choice changes the paperwork, not your landed cost.

Kernel powder is the one case where the line changes the bill. Under 0801.11 it enters like the cuts. Under the EU’s 1106 30 90 (flour and powder of Chapter 8 products) the third-country rate is 8.3%, and the US line 1106.30 also carries duty. Form EUR.1 travels with every FruitBuys shipment so your broker can claim the EVFTA or UKVFTA preference whichever line is used, but agree the line and description with your broker before the first container. Product detail: freeze-dried coconut powder.

Your customs broker confirms the final line; for a binding answer across many shipments, an advance tariff ruling in your country settles it once.

What duty will you pay in each market?

For the cuts, none in the EU and UK, and none of the general US rate. That makes freight, testing and your margin the real landed cost.

Your broker applies the national line on the day of import. The UAE point is new: the UAE–Vietnam Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement entered into force on 3 February 2026, and FruitBuys issues the C/O Form CEPA with every UAE shipment so your importer claims the preferential rate. Freeze-dried coconut grown and processed entirely in Vietnam qualifies as wholly obtained.

How do you keep a US coconut entry clear of Import Alert 23-12?

By sending the evidence that answers it before the container lands. Coconut meat and coconut milk products sit under FDA Import Alert 23-12, which lets US ports detain shipments without physical examination when microbiological contamination is suspected. Firms from Vietnam are among those on its list. For a US importer, that turns one question into the whole decision: how is Salmonella controlled, and how is it proven on this lot?

FruitBuys answers it at four points:

• Kill step on 100% of the kernel. Steam blanch at 85–88 °C before freezing, because freeze-drying itself never reaches a temperature that kills bacteria.
• Per-lot proof. Every export lot ships with a COA from an independent ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory showing Salmonella not detected in 25 g, the core document for your FSVP file.
• Listeria when your release needs it. Booked through an LAAF-accredited laboratory, as FDA has required for Listeria release testing since December 2025, before the container is stuffed.
• Retained sample from every container lot, kept for its full shelf life, so any question is tested against the same lot.

Ask every coconut supplier for the same four things, FruitBuys included. What each test covers is set out in what a freeze-dried coconut specification and lot COA should cover.

The rest of the US file. FDA requires Prior Notice before every food shipment arrives; FruitBuys supplies the shipment data for it. The partner facility holds US FDA Facility Registration, and FruitBuys supplies the supplier documents your Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) needs: process description with the kill step, certifications, lot COAs and the specification.

Which documents travel with every container?

Six on every shipment, plus the CEPA certificate of origin for the UAE, so your broker never waits for a missing page.

Why the phytosanitary certificate is in every dossier. Heading 0801 also covers fresh coconuts, so port systems check plant-health documents on that code by default. With the certificate already in the file, your broker clears the container without having to explain fresh versus dried.

System certifications sit alongside the shipment documents, in the technical dossier before you sign: HACCP, ISO 22000, BRC (qualified processing facility) and US FDA Facility Registration, all held through the qualified partner facility, with Halal certification available on request.

Will freeze-dried coconut face extra checks at the EU border?

No. Coconut is not on the EU list of foods under increased official controls (Reg. (EU) 2019/1793, checked against its 2026 amendments), so containers from Vietnam clear at standard check frequency.

What EU buyers and retailers do ask for is a pesticide multi-residue panel and sometimes Enterobacteriaceae. EU residue limits for coconut are set on the fresh nut, so a result on freeze-dried coconut is divided by 1.8–2.0 to compare it with the fresh-coconut limit, because drying concentrates the kernel by that much. A sulfite result below 10 mg/kg keeps your EU label free of a sulfite declaration; FruitBuys keeps the kernel white with a steam blanch, not sulfite. These panels are booked before stuffing and paid by the buyer or shared depending on volume.

What does the UAE and wider GCC check?

Three things, all on the label and the certificate:

• Halal: Halal certification available on request.
• Product registration: your importer registers the product with the emirate’s food authority before first sale.
• Arabic labelling: retail packs carry Arabic text; FruitBuys prints it on private-label pouches to your artwork.

Bulk cartons for further processing carry fewer label requirements than retail packs; tell us which you are importing so the carton marks and pouch artwork match.

What should the contract say?

Five clauses keep the first container and the tenth on the same terms:

1. HS line and description agreed with your broker before the first shipment.
2. Per-lot Salmonella COA (not detected in 25 g) with the full release panel.
3. Retained sample from every lot, kept for the full shelf life.
4. Claim windows: 14 days from devanning for packaging, appearance and water activity; 30 days for laboratory results.
5. One locked partner facility per contract, with written notice and a new sample approval before any change.

How the cartons are packed and loaded so the lot arrives as it left is in how long freeze-dried coconut lasts.

Importing somewhere else? China requires GACC registration of the overseas facility, and Japan, Korea and Australia each have their own residue and labelling checks. FruitBuys confirms the dossier and the test panel for your market before you sign, so the first shipment is planned, not discovered.

Plan your first shipment

Tell us your market, the cut and whether you import bulk or retail packs. FruitBuys sends the document set and test panel for that market, with the specification for freeze-dried coconut.

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FAQ

What is the HS code for freeze-dried coconut?

HS 0801, usually 0801.11 (desiccated coconut). Large chunks and cubes may be declared under 0801.19; both carry the same duty in the EU, US and UK.

What is the HS code for desiccated coconut?

0801.11. In the EU it is CN 0801 11 00, in the US HTSUS 0801.11.00.

Is there import duty on coconut in the EU?

No. CN 0801 11 00 enters the EU at 0% from any origin.

What is the US import duty on dried coconut?

The general rate under HTSUS 0801.11.00 is Free, plus any US trade tariffs in force on the entry date, which your customs broker confirms.

Why is coconut on an FDA import alert?

Import Alert 23-12 covers coconut products because of past microbiological contamination. A validated kill step and a per-lot Salmonella COA are what clear a US entry.

Does dried coconut need a phytosanitary certificate?

FruitBuys includes one with every shipment. Heading 0801 also covers fresh coconuts, so it lets your broker clear the plant-health check without delay.

What HS code is coconut powder?

0801.11 as a fine grade of desiccated coconut, or 1106.30 as a powder of Chapter 8 products. The duty differs between the two, so agree the line with your broker before the first shipment.