Analysis
HTS 0908.31.00 covers neither crushed nor ground under heading 0908 (nutmeg, mace and cardamoms).
The normal trade relations rate here is zero, shared by about 85% of the 48 tariff lines in chapter 09, a useful check when a neighbouring dutiable line is a candidate. Free here means free of the base duty only: origin-specific Chapter 99 duties such as Section 301 can still be owed.
Census statistics map these goods to NAICS 311942 (Spice and Extract Manufacturing), an industry of 473 US establishments employing 25,339 people. That concordance is how imports of this line are compared with US output.
All 6 neighbouring lines carry the same duty-free rate, so a borderline choice between them changes the statistics reported, not the duty paid.
The general rate of Free has not changed in any edition of the schedule since Jan 2023.
Neighbouring lines
| Line | Description | General rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0908.11.00 | Neither crushed nor ground | Free |
| 0908.12.00 | Nutmeg: crushed or ground | Free |
| 0908.21.00 | Neither crushed nor ground | Free |
| 0908.22.20 | Bombay or wild mace, ground | 7.4¢/kg |
| 0908.22.40 | Crushed or ground: other | Free |
| 0908.32.00 | Cardamoms: crushed or ground | Free |