Oats (heading 1004): importing markets
HS 1004 covers oats, a product in Chapter 10 (Cereals) with three subheadings. In 2025 the United States was the largest importer by value, with about…
Published on 26 October 2026Updated on 26 October 2026
HS 1004 covers oats, a product in Chapter 10 (Cereals) with three subheadings. In 2025 the United States was the largest importer by value, with about 344 million USD, followed by Germany and China. For a company exporting from Spain, demand is concentrated in a few markets, so tariff and plant health conditions should be checked market by market.
Source: UN ComtradeData for 2025Verified on 26 October 2026
Fact sheet
- Code
- 1004
- Chapter
- 10 · Cereals
- Subheadings
- 3
Main importing markets
USD · 2025| Country | Imports (USD) |
|---|---|
| United States | 344,130,451 |
| Germany | 164,347,389 |
| China | 150,127,514 |
| Netherlands | 53,492,092 |
| Belgium | 46,115,466 |
| Mexico | 36,091,791 |
| Spain | 31,148,044 |
| India | 30,122,645 |
| Japan | 21,885,513 |
| Latvia | 19,366,774 |
| Switzerland | 14,930,907 |
| Peru | 14,132,440 |
| Italy | 11,219,956 |
| Norway | 10,511,593 |
| South Korea | 9,709,243 |
Imports declared by each country from the world. Countries report with a delay: the period is the latest with consolidated data.
Source: UN ComtradeData for 2025Verified on 26 October 2026
What to know before exporting oats
Heading 1004 is divided into three subheadings. The exact subheading you declare determines the duty, the statistical treatment and, in some markets, the documents requested. Classify the product at subheading level before comparing markets, because import figures at four digits group together goods that may be treated differently at the border.
Demand is concentrated. In the 2025 data, the United States, Germany and China appear as the three largest importers by declared value, and the United States alone is more than double the second market. Each country reports its own imports from the world, so the table shows the size of each market, not how much Spain or any other origin supplies.
Germany and the Netherlands are in the European Union, and so are Belgium, Spain, Latvia and Italy. For a company exporting from Spain, sales to these countries are intra-Community trade: no import duty applies, and the formalities are those of the single market. The rest of the markets in the table are third countries, where customs duty and entry requirements apply.
For third countries, the duty depends on the subheading and on the agreement in force between the EU and the destination. It is consulted in Access2Markets, which also lists import requirements and procedures for each product and country. Check it for the specific destination before quoting a price.
Oats are a plant product, so phytosanitary rules usually apply when entering a third country. Whether a phytosanitary certificate is required, and under what conditions, is set by the importing country's plant health authority. Confirm it with the buyer and in Access2Markets before shipping.
Late reporting affects how to read the table. Countries submit their statistics with a delay, so 2025 is the latest period with consolidated data, and some markets may be revised. Treat the ranking as a guide to where to start, and check the trend over several years before committing resources to a market.
Source: UN ComtradeData for 2025Verified on 26 October 2026
Frequently asked questions
Which countries import the most oats by value?
According to UN Comtrade data for 2025, the largest importers by declared value are the United States (about 344 million USD), Germany (about 164 million USD) and China (about 150 million USD). The Netherlands, Belgium and Mexico follow.
Do I pay import duty when selling oats from Spain to Germany?
No. Germany is an EU member, so a sale from Spain is intra-Community trade and no customs duty applies. The commercial and tax formalities of the single market do apply, such as the invoice and the VAT treatment of the operation.
Where do I find the duty for exporting oats to the United States or China?
In Access2Markets, the European Commission's tool. Select the product code, Spain or the EU as origin and the destination country. The duty depends on the subheading under 1004 and on the agreements in force, so it is not the same for every shipment of oats.
Does the import ranking tell me how much Spain sells in each market?
No. The table shows what each country declares as imported from the world, regardless of origin. It measures the size of the market. To see the share held by a given supplier, you need the bilateral trade flows in UN Comtrade, which can be filtered by exporting country.
Do I need to classify oats at subheading level before exporting?
Yes. Heading 1004 has three subheadings, and duties, requirements and statistics are applied at that level or below. Classifying correctly avoids errors in the customs declaration and lets you read the right tariff in the destination market.
Source: UN ComtradeData for 2025Verified on 26 October 2026
Bring this analysis to your product
Create your free account: Exporta.ai reads your website, detects your HS code and tells you which markets to export to, with official data.