Palm oil and its fractions; whether or not refined, but not chemically modified (heading 1511): importing markets

Fact sheet

Code

1511

Chapter

15 · Animal, vegetable or microbial fats and oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes

Subheadings

2

What to know before exporting palm oil from Spain

Heading 1511 sits in chapter 15 of the Harmonized System and has two subheadings. The classification you declare depends on the exact product: crude or refined, and whole oil or a fraction. Chemically modified products fall outside this heading.

The table of importing markets shows imports declared by each country from the world, not purchases from Spain. It tells you where demand is concentrated, not how much of it a Spanish supplier can reach. India, Pakistan and China lead the list, followed at a distance by the Netherlands and the United States.

The Netherlands and Italy appear among the main importers. For a company exporting from Spain, shipments to EU member states move within the single market, so import duties between member states do not apply. Check the VAT and excise treatment with the tax authority, the AEAT, for each operation.

For markets outside the EU, the duty depends on the subheading, the destination and the agreement in force between the EU and that country. It is checked on Access2Markets, entering the code, the origin and the destination. Do the same for import licences, quotas or sanitary and quality requirements: they vary by country and are listed in the same tool and with the destination authority.

Palm oil is traded as a commodity, so the buyer will usually ask for product specifications and documentation on the origin of the oil. Ask each buyer which documents they require before quoting, and keep your supplier records ready to provide them.

Frequently asked questions about HS 1511