Tariff and customs classification
Tariff and customs classification for Healthcare & Life Sciences products is one of the more technically unforgiving compliance areas in international trade, where a single Harmonized System code misapplication on medical devices or pharmaceutical inputs can trigger duties, seizures, or import holds. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration share overlapping jurisdiction at the border, and in Europe, national customs authorities operating under European Union Combined Nomenclature rules have tightened scrutiny on combination products and IVD reagents since the EU Medical Device Regulation fully took effect. Classification disputes are not theoretical: binding ruling requests, prior disclosure filings, and CBP audit activity have all increased in the post-tariff-action environment covering Chinese-origin components.
Watch
- CBP's HTSUS Chapter 98 provisions as applied to returned U.S.-origin medical goods
- EU Combined Nomenclature 2024 updates affecting IVD reagent classification under Chapter 38 versus 30
- Section 301 List 4A tariff exposure for Chinese-origin pharmaceutical APIs and device subcomponents
- FDA-CBP data-sharing on misclassified combination products flagged at port of entry
- Japan Customs tariff classification guidance on single-use surgical robots under HS 9018
Recent material activity in Healthcare & Life Sciences
A selection of recent published briefs; this is not a complete archive.
Health Canada monitors Sanofi-Aventis Canada recall of 1,043 insulin units across approximately 80 distribution points
Sanofi-Aventis Canada Inc. voluntarily recalled 1,043 insulin pen and cartridge units on September 25, 2026, after identifying a risk that affected stock may have frozen during shipping. The recall covers multiple lots d…
Read a full sample brief →FDA advises consumers against Miracle Power of King Kong Honey over undisclosed active pharmaceutical ingredient
The FDA issued a consumer safety advisory on September 25, 2026 warning against purchasing or using Miracle Power of King Kong Honey, a sexual enhancement product sold online and potentially in retail stores. The advisor…
Read a full sample brief →FDA advises consumers against Candy Power For Man sexual enhancement product containing undisclosed ingredient
The FDA issued a consumer safety advisory on September 25, 2026 warning against purchasing or using Candy Power For Man, a sexual enhancement product sold on websites including eBay and potentially in retail stores. The …
Read a full sample brief →FDA advises consumers against purchasing Vital Honey over undisclosed drug ingredient
On September 25, 2026, the FDA advised consumers not to purchase or use Vital Honey, a sexual enhancement product sold on multiple websites and potentially in retail stores. The product contains an undisclosed drug ingre…
Read a full sample brief →Health Canada recalls nine Sarclisa vials from Nova Scotia over potential freeze damage during shipment
Health Canada issued a Type I recall on September 25, 2026, covering nine units of Sarclisa (isatuximab, 500 mg/25 mL, Lot 5F028A) distributed to three locations in Nova Scotia. Sanofi-aventis Canada Inc. initiated the r…
Read a full sample brief →FDA classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Angiographic Catheter removal as Class I Recall over tip detachment risk
The FDA classified the Boston Scientific Imager II Angiographic Catheter removal as a Class I Recall on September 25, 2026 — its most serious designation. The affected catheters were manufactured with reduced stabilizing…
Read a full sample brief →FDA approves zilurgisertib as third treatment for fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva in patients aged 12 and older
FDA approved Atebrioz (zilurgisertib) tablets on September 25, 2026 for adults and pediatric patients aged 12 and older with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva. The approval targets reduction in total new heterotopic …
Read a full sample brief →FDA approves obinutuzumab for relapse prevention in idiopathic nephrotic syndrome patients aged 2 and older
FDA approved Gazyva (obinutuzumab) injection on September 25, 2026 for frequently relapsing or steroid-dependent, childhood-onset idiopathic nephrotic syndrome in patients 2 years and older who are in remission. This mar…
Read a full sample brief →Health Canada recalls Ethicon PERMA-HAND Silk Suture over unauthorized chemical contamination in primary packaging
Health Canada recalled Ethicon PERMA-HAND Silk Suture on September 25, 2026, after the manufacturer confirmed that affected lots were incorrectly packaged with a tubing fluid — containing isopropyl alcohol, diethylaminoe…
Read a full sample brief →Abbott updates Amulet Left Atrial Appendage Occluder IFU to address pulmonary artery injury risk
Health Canada published a safety communication on September 25, 2026 regarding Abbott's Amplatzer Amulet Left Atrial Appendage Occluder. Abbott is revising the device's instructions for use to explicitly identify the pul…
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