Soya beans, whether or not broken (heading 1201): importing markets

Fact sheet

Code

1201

Chapter

12 · Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits; miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruit, industrial or medicinal plants; straw and fodder

Subheadings

3

What to know before exporting soya beans from Spain

Heading 1201 is a four-digit code of the Harmonized System, the international classification used by customs worldwide. It sits in chapter 12 and is divided into three subheadings. The subheading, not the heading, determines the duty and the documents required, so the first task is to classify the goods down to that level.

The importing market table shows how concentrated demand is. China declared about 52.7 billion USD of imports in 2024, more than twenty times the second market, Argentina, at about 2.2 billion USD. The rest of the list is a mix of Asian, Mediterranean and European buyers, each with figures between roughly 0.6 and 2.2 billion USD.

These figures are imports declared by each country from the world, not purchases from Spain. A large importer is not necessarily an accessible market for a Spanish exporter: that depends on who already supplies it, at what price and under which conditions. Treat the table as a map of demand, not as a list of opportunities.

For a company exporting from Spain, the duty depends on the subheading and on the agreement in force between the European Union and the destination. It is looked up in Access2Markets, entering the code and the country. Within the EU single market, intra-EU trade is not subject to customs duties, but it does follow its own statistical and tax declarations.

Phytosanitary and quality requirements for plant products such as oil seeds are set by each destination country. They often include a phytosanitary certificate issued by the exporter's authority, and may include limits on residues or on genetically modified material. Check the import conditions of the specific market before quoting, not after the order.

Soya beans are traded in bulk and priced against international references, so the commercial conditions, such as Incoterm, packaging and transport, weigh as much as the duty. Agree them in writing with the buyer and confirm that the code on the invoice matches the one the destination customs will apply.

Frequently asked questions