Apples, pears and quinces; fresh (heading 0808): importing markets

Fact sheet

Code

0808

Chapter

08 · Fruit and nuts, edible; peel of citrus fruit or melons

Subheadings

4

What to know before exporting HS 0808 from Spain

Heading 0808 belongs to chapter 08 and is divided into four subheadings. Apples, pears and quinces are classified separately, so the six-digit code you declare must match the exact product you ship. Classification determines the tariff, the documents and the statistics, so it is the first thing to settle.

The ranking of importers mixes very different kinds of market. Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Spain appear among the main importers, and for a Spanish exporter the first of these and the Netherlands sit inside the European Union single market. The United Kingdom, Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil, India or Saudi Arabia are outside it, and each one applies its own conditions.

The tariff depends on the subheading, the destination country and the agreement in force between that country and the origin. For a company exporting from Spain, the EU rules and preferential agreements are consulted in Access2Markets and the integrated tariff in TARIC. Check the figure for the specific code and market, not for the heading as a whole.

Fresh fruit is also subject to plant health and quality requirements that vary by destination. Phytosanitary certification, packaging and marketing standards are set by the importing country, and Access2Markets lists the requirements for each product and market. Ask your customs agent to confirm them before quoting a price.

Import volume is not the same as accessible demand. A large importer may also be a large producer or re-exporter, and the ranking reflects what each country declares as imports from the world, not what it buys from Spain. Before prioritising a market, compare these figures with the trade flows between Spain and that destination in UN Comtrade or in the statistics of ICEX.

Frequently asked questions