HTS Section III

Animal or Vegetable Fats and Oils

Name: HTS Section III: Animal or Vegetable Fats and Oils - US Tariff Data
Creator: U.S. International Trade Commission
License: https://plaintariff.com/terms

Section III groups 1 HTS chapters covering 181 tariff classifications, averaging about 3.8% general (MFN) duty, peaking in Chapter 15 at 3.8%.

3.8%
avg chapter duty: 1
HTS chapters: 181
tariff classifications: 3.8%
peak (Ch 15)

According to the U.S. International Trade Commission Harmonized Tariff Schedule 2026 Basic Edition, PlainTariff indexes 13,855 Column 1 general-rate tariff lines across 96 chapters as of August 2026. See our methodology for how rates are parsed and when the USITC vintage updates.

Section at a glance

According to PlainTariff's dutiable-only average MFN rates (USITC HTS 2026 Basic Edition), Section III ranks #8 of 20 among sections with a measurable dutiable average (highest average = #1). The 1 chapters here average about 3.8% general (MFN) duty across 181 classifications.

#8 of 20
among sections by dutiable avg: 3.8%
avg chapter duty: 1
HTS chapters: 181
tariff classifications

Section averages orient only; duty is set at the individual tariff-line level (USITC HTS 2026 Basic Edition).

Compiled by PlainTariff · May 15, 2026

A compact section with a short route to the line

Section III holds 181 classifications in 1 chapter. Its smaller catalog makes the chapter table the fastest route to the exact heading and tariff line.

Use the compact chapter list, then confirm the individual tariff line.

Catalog: 181; classifications
Route: 1 chapter; before the heading

FAO ag-trade commodities that map into Section III

7 FAO commodity series (chapter-linked) overlap this USITC section, about $1.1B in reported global trade value across those series. This is agricultural trade volume, not a duty quote; open a commodity for country flows, then return to the chapter table for the operative HTS line.

Palm oil
HTS Ch 15 · top exporter Indonesia · top importer India

$503.1M
Sunflower-seed oil; crude
HTS Ch 15 · top exporter Ukraine · top importer India

$189.1M
Olive oil
HTS Ch 15 · top exporter Spain · top importer Italy

$108.6M
Industrial monocarboxylic fatty acids; acid oils from refining
HTS Ch 15 · top exporter Indonesia · top importer China; mainland

$102.6M
Animal or vegetable fats and oils and their fractions; chemically modified; except those hydrogenated; inter-esterified; re-esterified or elaidinized; inedible mixtures or preparations of animal or vegetable fats or oils
HTS Ch 15 · top exporter China; mainland · top importer Netherlands (Kingdom of the)

$81.3M
Essential oils n.e.c.
HTS Ch 15 · top exporter India · top importer United States of America

$69.1M
Coconut oil
HTS Ch 15 · top exporter Philippines · top importer United States of America

$38.7M

Source: FAO trade series joined to USITC chapters inside Section III. Only sections with chapter-linked FAO rows render this band.

HTS section dispatch

SEC-III · Section III

RATE-LIGHT · RANK-MID · BOOK-LIGHT · CH-1 · PEAK-MILD · PHOTO-FINISH

RATE-LIGHT

6.4% avg MFN
RANK-MID

#8 of 20
BOOK-LIGHT

181 lines
CH-1

1 chapters
PEAK-MILD

Peak 19.1%
PHOTO-FINISH

≈ Sec VIII

Nearest avg-rate peer: Section VIII (-0.4 pts)

Sec XVI · lowest avg Sec IX · near Sec XIV · near Sec XX · near Sec VIII · near Sec III · this section Sec XII · highest avg

Section III vs all HTS sections by classification count

Where this section's tariff-line inventory sits among all 22 HTS sections (schedule breadth, not a virtue ranking)

181 20th of 22 higher than 2 of 22 sections

Sections banded by USITC HTS classification count

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more sections. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule 2026 Basic Edition · 2026-05-15

MFN rate bands in Section III

Exclusive bands across all 78 tariff lines in this section (USITC HTS 2026). Rate complex covers non-ad-valorem or unparsed general rates, not a restatement of the chapter-average chart below.

Duty-free 17 lines (22%) 0.1–5% 51 lines (65%) 5–15% 7 lines (9%) Over 15% 3 lines (4%)

Chapter	Title	Items	With Rates	Avg Rate	Max Rate
15	Animal, vegetable or microbial fats and oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes	181	78	3.8%	19.1%

Frequently Asked Questions

What does HTS Section III cover? ▼

HTS Section III covers Animal or Vegetable Fats and Oils. It contains 1 chapters with a total of 181 individual tariff classifications.

How many chapters are in Section III? ▼

Section III contains 1 chapters. Each chapter groups related products with their own headings, subheadings, and tariff lines specifying duty rates.

Should I use the section average as a product duty rate? ▼

No. The section average is a comparison aid. The applicable general, special, and Column 2 rates appear on the exact tariff-line page for the product classification.

Where does Section III sit among other HTS sections on PlainTariff? ▼

How is the Harmonized Tariff Schedule organized? ▼

The HTS is organized into 22 Sections (Roman numerals I–XXII), which contain 99 Chapters. Each Chapter has Headings (4-digit), Subheadings (6-digit), and Tariff Lines (8-10 digit) with specific duty rates. Sections group related product categories together.

Where can I find the duty rate for a specific product? ▼

Click on a chapter in the table above to see all its tariff lines. Each tariff line links to a detail page with the General (MFN), Special (FTA), and Column 2 duty rates. For complex classifications, consult a licensed customs broker.

Nationwide HTS sections with similar tariff profiles

Two peer sets for Section III, each excluding this section (the chapter table above stays the within-section path).

Similar dutiable average rate

Nearest other sections by dutiable-only MFN average (3.8% here).

Sec XIX 3.7% Sec XVI 3.6% Sec XV 4.0% Sec XVIII 4.6% Sec V 4.7% Sec VII 4.8%

Similar HTS line inventory

Nearest other sections by tariff-line count (181 here).

Sec XIV 238 lines Sec XIX 109 lines Sec XXI 47 lines Sec V 511 lines Sec VIII 578 lines Sec X 633 lines

Read with Section III

Contrast this sheet with nearest avg-rate peers and corpus poles, not a generic guide roster.

Section XII: Footwear

Highest dutiable-only average (15.0%) — contrast with Section III.

Section XVI: Machinery

Lowest dutiable-only average (3.6%) — compare rate posture.

Section VIII: Hides

Nearest avg-rate peer (6.0%) on the same dutiable-only basis.

Section XX: Miscellaneous Manufactured Articles

Nearest avg-rate peer (5.6%) on the same dutiable-only basis.

Section XIV: Natural or Cultured Pearls

Nearest avg-rate peer (5.5%) on the same dutiable-only basis.

Next steps

Drill from this section down to the exact rate for your product.

Open any of Section III's 1 chapters to see its tariff lines. Chapter table above
Estimate the duty on a shipment in this category. Tariff calculator
Search for a specific product by code or description. Search HTS

The section average is a rough guide; actual duty depends on the precise HTS classification and country of origin.

Related sections

Section XII Section XVI Section VIII Section XX | All sections | Highest tariffs

Sources: U.S. International Trade Commission Harmonized Tariff Schedule (2026 Basic Edition) and FAO FAOSTAT Trade: Crops and Livestock. See our methodology for how figures are computed.

Cite this page

PlainTariff, “Section III: Animal or Vegetable Fats and Oils | PlainTariff.” Compiled from U.S. International Trade Commission Harmonized Tariff Schedule 2026 Basic Edition, Column 1 general (MFN) rates; data as of 2026 Basic Edition. https://plaintariff.com/section/iii-animal-or-vegetable-fats-and-oils

Formal citation formats (APA / MLA)

APA: PlainTariff. (2026). Section III: Animal or Vegetable Fats and Oils | PlainTariff. Retrieved September 11, 2026, from https://plaintariff.com/section/iii-animal-or-vegetable-fats-and-oils

MLA: "Section III: Animal or Vegetable Fats and Oils | PlainTariff." PlainTariff, 2026, https://plaintariff.com/section/iii-animal-or-vegetable-fats-and-oils.

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