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Chapter 30 - Pharmaceutical products

Chapter
30
Classification
Pharmaceutical products
Date of trade
7 May 2024
Change

Chapter 30 contains 6 headings. Choose the heading that best matches your goods.

There are important notes for classifying your goods shown further down this page

30
01
Heading 01: Glands and other organs for organo-therapeutic uses, dried, whether or not powdered; extracts of glands or other organs or of their secretions for organo-therapeutic uses; heparin and its salts; other human or animal substances prepared for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, not elsewhere specified or included
30
02
Heading 02: Human blood; animal blood prepared for therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic uses; antisera, other blood fractions and immunological products, whether or not modified or obtained by means of biotechnological processes; vaccines, toxins, cultures of micro-organisms (excluding yeasts) and similar products; cell cultures, whether or not modified
30
03
Heading 03: Medicaments (excluding goods of heading 3002, 3005 or 3006) consisting of two or more constituents which have been mixed together for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, not put up in measured doses or in forms or packings for retail sale
30
04
Heading 04: Medicaments (excluding goods of heading 3002, 3005 or 3006) consisting of mixed or unmixed products for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, put up in measured doses (including those in the form of transdermal administration systems) or in forms or packings for retail sale
30
05
Heading 05: Wadding, gauze, bandages and similar articles (for example, dressings, adhesive plasters, poultices), impregnated or coated with pharmaceutical substances or put up in forms or packings for retail sale for medical, surgical, dental or veterinary purposes
30
06
Heading 06: Pharmaceutical goods specified in note 4 to this chapter

Chapter notes

  1. This chapter does not cover:

    (a) foods or beverages (such as dietetic, diabetic or fortified foods, food supplements, tonic beverages and mineral waters), other than nutritional preparations for intravenous administration (Section IV);

    (b) products, such as tablets, chewing gum or patches (transdermal systems), containing nicotine and intended to assist tobacco use cessation (heading 2404);

    (c) plasters specially calcined or finely ground for use in dentistry (heading 2520);

    (d) aqueous distillates or aqueous solutions of essential oils, suitable for medicinal uses (heading 3301);

    (e) preparations of heading 3303 to 3307, even if they have therapeutic or prophylactic properties;

    (f) soap or other products of heading 3401 containing added medicaments;

    (g) preparations with a basis of plaster for use in dentistry (heading 3407); or

    (h) blood albumin not prepared for therapeutic or prophylactic uses (heading 3502).

    (ij) diagnostic reagents of heading 3822.

  2. For the purposes of heading 3002, the expression ‘immunological products’ applies to peptides and proteins (other than goods of heading 2937) which are directly involved in the regulation of immunological processes, such as monoclonal antibodies (MAB), antibody fragments, antibody conjugates and antibody fragment conjugates, interleukins, interferons (IFN), chemokines and certain tumour-necrosis factors (TNF), growth factors (GF), hematopoietins and colony-stimulating factors (CSF).

  3. For the purposes of heading 3003 and 3004 and of note 4(d) to this chapter, the following are to be treated:

    • (a) as unmixed products:

      • (1) unmixed products dissolved in water;

      • (2) all goods of Chapter 28 or 29; and

      • (3) simple vegetable extracts of heading 1302, merely standardised or dissolved in any solvent;

    • (b) as products which have been mixed:

      • (1) colloidal solutions and suspensions (other than colloidal sulphur);

      • (2) vegetable extracts obtained by the treatment of mixtures of vegetable materials; and

      • (3) salts and concentrates obtained by evaporating natural mineral waters.

  4. Heading 3006 applies only to the following, which are to be classified in that heading and in no other heading of the classification:

    (a) sterile surgical catgut, similar sterile suture materials (including sterile absorbable surgical or dental yarns) and sterile tissue adhesives for surgical wound closure;

    (b) sterile laminaria and sterile laminaria tents;

    (c) sterile absorbable surgical or dental haemostatics; sterile surgical or dental adhesion barriers, whether or not absorbable;

    (d) opacifying preparations for X-ray examinations and diagnostic reagents designed to be administered to the patient, being unmixed products put up in measured doses or products consisting of two or more ingredients which have been mixed together for such uses;

    (e) placebos and blinded (or double-blinded) clinical trial kits for use in recognised clinical trials, put up in measured doses, even if they might contain active medicaments;

    (f) dental cements and other dental fillings; bone reconstruction cements;

    (g) first-aid boxes and kits;

    (h) chemical contraceptive preparations based on hormones, on other products of heading 2937 or on spermicides;

    (ij) gel preparations designed to be used in human or veterinary medicine as a lubricant for parts of the body for surgical operations or physical examinations or as a coupling agent between the body and medical instruments;

    (k) waste pharmaceuticals, that is, pharmaceutical products which are unfit for their original intended purpose due to, for example, expiry of shelf life; and

    (l) appliances identifiable for ostomy use, that is, colostomy, ileostomy and urostomy pouches cut to shape and their adhesive wafers or faceplates.

Subheading notes

  1. For the purposes of subheadings 3002 13 and 3002 14, the following are to be treated:

    • (a) as unmixed products, pure products, whether or not containing impurities;

    • (b) as products which have been mixed:

      • (1) the products mentioned in (a) above dissolved in water or in other solvents;

      • (2) the products mentioned in (a) and (b) (1) above with an added stabiliser necessary for their preservation or transport; and

      • (3) The products mentioned in (a), (b) (1) and (b) (2) above with any other additive.

  2. Subheadings 3003 60 and 3004 60 cover medicaments containing artemisinin (INN) for oral ingestion combined with other pharmaceutical active ingredients, or containing any of the following active principles, whether or not combined with other pharmaceutical active ingredients: amodiaquine (INN); artelinic acid or its salts; artenimol (INN); artemotil (INN); artemether (INN); artesunate (INN); chloroquine (INN); dihydroartemisinin (INN); lumefantrine (INN); mefloquine (INN); piperaquine (INN); pyrimethamine (INN) or sulfadoxine (INN).

Additional chapter note

  1. Heading 3004 includes herbal medicinal preparations and preparations based on the following active substances: vitamins, minerals, essential amino-acids or fatty acids, in packings for retail sale. These preparations are classified in heading 3004 if they bear on the label, packaging or on the accompanying user directions the following statements of:

    (a) the specific diseases, ailments or their symptoms for which the product is to be used;

    (b) the concentration of active substance or substances contained therein;

    (c) dosage; and

    (d) mode of application.

    This heading includes homeopathic medicinal preparations when they meet the conditions of (a), (c) and (d) mentioned above. In the case of preparations based on vitamins, minerals, essential amino-acids or fatty acids, the level of one of these substances per recommended daily dose indicated on the label must be significantly higher than the recommended daily allowance to maintain general health or well-being.

Section notes

  1. (A) Goods (other than radioactive ores) answering to a description in heading 2844 or 2845 are to be classified in those headings and in no other heading of the classification.

    (B) Subject to paragraph (A) above, goods answering to a description in heading 2843, 2846 or 2852 are to be classified in those headings and in no other heading of this section.

  2. Subject to Note 1 above, goods classifiable in heading 3004, 3005, 3006, 3212, 3303, 3304, 3305, 3306, 3307, 3506, 3707 or 3808 by reason of being put up in measured doses or for retail sale are to be classified in those headings and in no other heading of the classification.

  3. Goods put up in sets consisting of two or more separate constituents, some or all of which fall in this section and are intended to be mixed together to obtain a product of Section VI or VII, are to be classified in the heading appropriate to that product, provided that the constituents are:

    a. having regard to the manner in which they are put up, clearly identifiable as being intended to be used together without first being repacked;

    b. presented together; and

    c. identifiable, whether by their nature or by the relative proportions in which they are present, as being complementary one to another.

  4. Where a product answers to a description in one or more of the headings in Section VI by virtue of being described by name or function and also to heading 3827, then it is classifiable in a heading that references the product by name or function and not under heading 3827.

General Rules for the Interpretation of goods

Classification of goods in the Tariff shall be governed by the following principles:

Rule 1

The titles of sections, chapters and sub-chapters are provided for ease of reference only. For legal purposes, classification shall be determined according to the terms of the headings and any relative section or chapter notes and, provided such headings or notes do not otherwise require, according to the following provisions.

Rule 2

  1. Any reference in a heading to an article shall be taken to include a reference to that article incomplete or unfinished, provided that, as presented, the incomplete or unfinished article has the essential character of the complete or finished article. It shall also be taken to include a reference to that article complete or finished (or falling to be classified as complete or finished by virtue of this rule), presented unassembled or disassembled.
  2. Any reference in a heading to a material or substance shall be taken to include a reference to mixtures or combinations of that material or substance with other materials or substances. Any reference to goods of a given material or substance shall be taken to include a reference to goods consisting wholly or partly of such material or substance. The classification of goods consisting of more than one material or substance shall be according to the principles of rule 3.

Rule 3

When, by application of rule 2(b) or for any other reason, goods are prima facie classifiable under two or more headings, classification shall be effected as follows:

  1. the heading which provides the most specific description shall be preferred to headings providing a more general description. However, when two or more headings each refer to part only of the materials or substances contained in mixed or composite goods or to part only of the items in a set put up for retail sale, those headings are to be regarded as equally specific in relation to those goods, even if one of them gives a more complete or precise description of the goods;
  2. mixtures, composite goods consisting of different materials or made up of different components, and goods put up in sets for retail sale, which cannot be classified by reference to 3(a), shall be classified as if they consisted of the material or component which gives them their essential character, insofar as this criterion is applicable;
  3. when goods cannot be classified by reference to 3(a) or (b), they shall be classified under the heading which occurs last in numerical order among those which equally merit consideration.
Rule 4

Goods which cannot be classified in accordance with the above rules shall be classified under the heading appropriate to the goods to which they are most akin.

Rule 5

In addition to the foregoing provisions, the following rules shall apply in respect of the goods referred to therein:

  1. camera cases, musical instrument cases, gun cases, drawing-instrument cases, necklace cases and similar containers, specially shaped or fitted to contain a specific article or set of articles, suitable for long-term use and presented with the articles for which they are intended, shall be classified with such articles when of a kind normally sold therewith. This rule does not, however, apply to containers which give the whole its essential character;
  2. subject to the provisions of rule 5(a), packing materials and packing containers ( 1 ) presented with the goods therein shall be classified with the goods if they are of a kind normally used for packing such goods. However, this provision is not binding when such packing materials or packing containers are clearly suitable for repetitive use.

Rule 6

For legal purposes, the classification of goods in the subheadings of a heading shall be determined according to the terms of those subheadings and any related subheading notes and, mutatis mutandis, to the above rules, on the understanding that only subheadings at the same level are comparable. For the purposes of this rule, the relative section and chapter notes also apply, unless the context requires otherwise.

Last updated: 7 May 2024 View latest amendments