Seeds of herbaceous plants cultivated principally for their flowers
Classified under heading 1209 — chapter 12 of the US Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
General rate applies to goods from countries with normal trade relations. Special rates require a program code (USMCA, GSP, AGOA…). Column 2 applies where normal trade relations do not.
Duty calculator
Estimate the duty owed on an import under HTS 1209.30.00.
Excludes merchandise processing fees, Section 301 duties, antidumping/countervailing duties and freight. Estimates only — not customs advice.
Where this rate sits
Heading 1209 contains 9 tariff lines. The general rate on this line is 1¢/kg.
| Metric | This line | Heading 1209 |
|---|---|---|
| General rate | 1¢/kg | avg 0% |
| Duty-free lines | no | 4 of 9 |
| Specific-rate lines | yes | 5 |
Classification path
- 1209Seeds, fruits and spores of a kind used for sowing
- 1209.30.00Seeds of herbaceous plants cultivated principally for their flowers
All 9 tariff lines under heading 1209
Heading overview →| HTS code | Description | General | Col. 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1209.21.00 | Alfalfa (lucerne) seeds | 1.5¢/kg | 17.6¢/kg |
| 1209.22.40 | Other | Free | 18¢/kg |
| 1209.23.00 | Fescue seeds | Free | 4.4¢/kg |
| 1209.25.00 | Rye grass (Lolium multiflorium Lam., Lolium perenne L.) seeds | 1.4¢/kg | 6.6¢/kg |
| 1209.29.91 | Other | Free | 8% |
| 1209.30.00 | Seeds of herbaceous plants cultivated principally for their flowersthis page | 1¢/kg | 13.2¢/kg |
| 1209.91.60 | Pepper | Free | 33¢/kg |
| 1209.91.80 | Other | 1.5¢/kg | 13.2¢/kg |
| 1209.99.41 | Other | 0.83¢/kg | 13.2¢/kg |
Using HTS 1209.30.00 correctly
A ten-digit HTS number has three parts: the four-digit heading, the six-digit international subheading shared by every WTO member, and the two-digit US statistical suffix. 1209.30.00 is a US national line — the same product may carry a different suffix in the EU TARIC or in another country's tariff.
Classification is determined by the General Rules of Interpretation, not by what the product is called on the invoice. If your goods could fall in two headings, GRI 1 sends you to the heading with the most specific description; GRI 3 breaks ties by essential character. A GRI 3(b) mistake is the single most common reason an entry gets reclassified and billed for unpaid duty plus interest.