Chapter 03 covers fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates, including live, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted, smoked and other preservation methods. This chapter is a core chapter for international trade in aquatic products, involving capture, aquaculture, processing and other stages, and countries generally have strict inspection, quarantine and hygiene requirements for goods under this chapter. Heading 0302 covers fresh or chilled fish, but excludes fillets and other fish meat (0304), whole or cut smoked fish (0305), and crustaceans, molluscs, etc. (0306-0308). This heading mainly covers fresh fish kept in their original form, usually for human consumption or further processing. The first 2 digits 03 represent Chapter 3, 'Fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates.' The 3rd-4th digits 02 represent the heading 'Fresh or chilled fish, excluding fillets and other fish meat of 0304.' The 5th-6th digits 66 represent the subheading 'Eels (Anguilla spp.),' specifically including all fresh or chilled products of the genus Anguilla. Therefore, 030266 specifically refers to fresh or chilled eels, regardless of whether they are from aquaculture or wild sources. The goods are fresh or chilled eels that have not been smoked, dried, salted or frozen, and have not been cut into fillets or minced meat, so they do not meet the conditions of 0304 (fillets), 0305 (smoked fish) or 0303 (frozen fish). At the same time, eels belong to the genus Anguilla, so they are classified under 030266 rather than other fresh fish subheadings.

Product name: The specific name of the declared goods, which should use standard Chinese or English, such as 'fresh eel' or 'chilled eel.' Latin scientific name: Provide the Latin scientific name of the eel, such as Anguilla japonica, Anguilla anguilla, etc., to ensure classification under 030266. State: Clearly state whether it is fresh or chilled, such as 'fresh' or 'chilled'; it must not be vague. Specification: Declare the weight or length specification of each eel, such as '200-300 grams each.' Packaging method: Explain the packaging materials and method, such as 'foam box with ice,' 'vacuum packaging,' etc. Brand: If there is a brand, declare the brand name; if there is no brand, enter 'none.' Origin: Declare the specific country/region and waters where the eel was caught or farmed. Production date: Declare the catch or processing date in YYYY-MM-DD format. Product name: fresh eel; Latin scientific name: Anguilla japonica; State: fresh; Specification: 200-300 grams each; Packaging method: foam box with ice; Brand: none; Origin: Guangdong Province, China; Production date: 2025-03-15. Mistakenly declaring chilled eel as frozen eel, resulting in classification under 0303 instead of 0302. Failure to provide the Latin scientific name may result in classification under other fresh fish subheadings. Failure to indicate the addition of ice in the packaging method may cause it to be mistaken as not chilled.

The core basis for classification is the Import and Export Tariff and the HS Explanatory Notes. Fresh or chilled eels must meet the following: 1) belong to the genus Anguilla spp.; 2) remain in their original form, not deboned, sliced or minced; 3) be preserved fresh or chilled, not frozen, smoked, dried or salted. If any of the above processing has been carried out, they are classified under other headings. 030192 Eel fry: 030192 is eel fry (young fish for aquaculture), while 030266 is fresh or chilled eel of adult or food-grade size. 030274 Fresh or chilled eel fillets: 030274 is eel fillets, i.e., deboned or sliced fish meat; while 030266 is whole or cut eel, not deboned. 030326 Frozen eel: 030326 is frozen eel, with a frozen preservation state; while 030266 is fresh or chilled, with different temperature conditions. 030549 Smoked eel: 030549 is smoked eel, which has undergone smoking processing; while 030266 has not been smoked. 030695 Dried or salted eel: 030695 is dried or salted eel, with a different preservation method; 030266 is fresh or chilled. Is it clearly of the genus Anguilla spp.? Is it kept whole or cut, not deboned or sliced? Is the preservation state fresh or chilled, rather than frozen? Has it not been smoked, dried or salted? Is the Latin scientific name accurately provided?

How can one determine whether eel is fresh or chilled? Fresh means it has not undergone cooling treatment and remains at ambient temperature; chilled means it is stored at around 0°C. In actual trade, fresh eel is usually transported with ice, but if the temperature is close to 0°C, it should be declared as chilled. It is recommended to judge based on transport temperature records and contractual agreements. How can 030266 and 030192 (eel fry) be distinguished? 030192 specifically refers to eel fry, i.e., young fish used for aquaculture, usually less than 15 cm in body length; 030266 is adult fish of food-grade size, with a larger body length. Customs may judge based on specification and use, and it is recommended to clearly state body length and use when declaring. If the eel is deboned but not sliced, which code should it be classified under? Eel that is deboned but not sliced still belongs to fish meat and should be classified under 0304 (fresh or chilled fish fillets and other fish meat), specifically subheading 030274 (eel fillets). 030266 requires it to remain whole or cut, not deboned. Does adding ice during transport of chilled eel affect classification? Adding ice is to maintain low temperature and does not affect classification. As long as the temperature is around 0°C and it is not frozen, it is still classified under 030266. However, if the temperature is below 0°C and causes partial freezing, it may be classified under 0303 (frozen fish). Is it necessary to provide the Latin scientific name when declaring? Yes, the Latin scientific name is key to determining the subheading. There are multiple species of eel, such as Japanese eel, European eel, etc., all classified under 030266. However, if mistakenly declared as another fish species, it may lead to incorrect classification. How can the tariff rate for 030266 be checked? The tariff rate must be checked according to the customs tariff of the destination country. China's import tariff rate can be checked in the Import and Export Tariff, and the export tariff rate must be checked in the export tariff. It is recommended to use the General Administration of Customs or official databases, and note that tariff rates may be adjusted with policy changes. How should fresh eel sold via cross-border e-commerce be declared? Cross-border e-commerce usually adopts direct purchase import or bonded import models and must be declared according to the actual state. Fresh eel is perishable, so cold-chain logistics must be ensured, and inspection and quarantine certificates must be provided. When declaring, accurately fill in product name, state, specification and other elements. If the eel has been salted but not dried, which code should it be classified under? Salted eel should be classified under 0305 (dried, salted or brined fish), specifically subheading 030569 (other salted fish) or 030695 (dried or salted eel). 030266 applies only to fresh or chilled.