WCO Explanatory Notes reproduced for reference. © World Customs Organization. Verify against official WCO publication.
29.41 - Antibiotics (+). 2941.10 - Penicillins and their derivatives with a penicillanic acid structure; salts thereof - Streptomycins and their derivatives; salts thereof 2941.30 - Tetracyclines and their derivatives; salts thereof 2941.20 2941.40 - Chloramphenicol and its derivatives; salts thereof 2941.50 - Erythromycin and its derivatives; salts thereof 2941.90 - Other Antibiotics are substances secreted by living micro-organisms which have the effect of killin other micro-organisms or inhibiting their growth. They are used principally for their power inhibitory effect on pathogenic micro-organisms, particular1 bacteria or fungi, or in some cases on neoplasms. They can be effective at a concentration of a ew micrograms per ml in the blood. tifi H Antibiotics may consist of a single substance or a group of related substances, their chemical structure ma or may not be known or be chemically defined. They are chemically diverse and include the iJ ollowing : (I) Heterocyclic, e-g., novobiocin, cephalosporins, streptothricin, faropenem (INN), doripenem (INN), monobactams (e.g., aztreonam (INN)). The most important of this class are the penicillins which are secreted by several species of the fungus PenicilEium. This class also includes procaine penicillin. (2) Sugar-related,e.g., streptomycins. (3) Tetracyclines and their derivatives, e.g., chlortetracycline (INN), oxytetracycline (INN). (4) Chloramphenicol and its derivatives, e.g., thiamphenicol and florfenicol. (5) Macrolides, e.g., erythromycin, amphotericin B, tylosin. (6) Polypeptides, e.g., actinomycins, bacitracin, gramicidins, tyrocidin. (7) Other antibiotics, e.g., sarkomycin, vancomycin. This heading also includes chemically modified antibiotics used as such. These may be prepared by isolating ingredients produced by natural growth of the micro-organism and then mohfjmg the structure by chemical reaction or by adding sidechain precursors to the growth-medium so that desired groups are incorporated into the molecule by the cell-processes (semi-synthetic penicillins); or by bio-synthes~s(e.g., penicillins from selected amino-acids). Natural antibiotics reproduced by synthesis (e.g., chloramphenicol) are classified in this headin , as are certain synthetic products closely related to natural antibiotics and used as such (e.g., 8iamphenicol). In this heading, the term "derivatives" refers to active antibiotic compounds which could be obtained from a corn ound of this heading and which retain the essent~alcharacteristics of the parent compound, inc uding its basic chemcal structure. P This heading does not cover : (a) Antibiotic preparations of a kind used in animal feeding (e.g. dried and standardised complete mycelium) (heading 23.09). (b) Chemically defined or anic compounds with a very low antibiotic activity, used as intermediates in the manufacture of ant1 iotics (earlier headings of this Chapter according to structure). % (c) Quinolinecarboxylic acid derivatives, nitrofurans, sulphonamides and other chemically defined organic compounds of earlier headings of this Chapter having antibacterial action. (d) Deliberate intermixtures of antibiotics (e-g., a mixture of penicillin and streptomycin) for therapeutic or prophylactic uses (heading 30.03 or 30.04). (e) Intermediate products obtained during the manufacture of antibiotics by filtering and first-stage extraction, with an antibiotic content generally not exceeding 70 % (heading 38.24).
1.- Except where the context otherwise requires, the headings of this Chapter apply only to : (a) Separate chemically defined organic compounds, whether or not containing impurities; (b) Mixtures of two or more isomers of the same organic compound (whether or not containing impurities), except mixtures of acyclic hydrocarbon isomers (other than stereoisomers), whether or not saturated (Chapter 27); (c) The products of headings 29.36 to 29.39 or the sugar ethers, sugar acetals and sugar esters, and their salts, of heading 29.40, or the products of heading 29.41, whether or not chemically defined; (d) The products mentioned in (a), (b) or (c) above dissolved in water; (e) The products mentioned in (a), (b) or (c) above dissolved in other solvents provided that the solution constitutes a normal and necessary method of putting up these products adopted solely for reasons of safety or for transport and that the solvent does not render the product particularly suitable for specific use rather than for general use; (f) The products mentioned in (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e) above with an added stabiliser (including an anti- caking agent) necessary for their preservation or transport; (g) The products mentioned in (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) or (f) above with an added anti-dusting agent or a colouring or odoriferous substance or an emetic added to facilitate their identification or for safety reasons, provided that the additions do not render the product particularly suitable for specific use rather than for general use; (h) The following products, diluted to standard strengths, for the production of azo dyes : diazonium salts, couplers used for these salts and diazotisable amines and their salts. 2.- This Chapter does not cover : (a) Goods of heading 15.04 or crude glycerol of heading 15.20; (b) Ethyl alcohol (heading 22.07 or 22.08); (c) Methane or propane (heading 27.11); (d) The compounds of carbon mentioned in Note 2 to Chapter 28; (e) Immunological products of heading 30.02; (f) Urea (heading 31.02 or 31.05); (g) Colouring matter of vegetable or animal origin (heading 32.03), synthetic organic colouring matter, synthetic organic products of a kind used as fluorescent brightening agents or as luminophores (heading 32.04) or dyes or other colouring matter put up in forms or packings for retail sale (heading 32.12); (h) Enzymes (heading 35.07); (ij) Metaldehyde, hexamethylenetetramine or similar substances, put up in forms (for example, tablets, sticks or similar forms) for use as fuels, or liquid or liquefied-gas fuels in containers of a kind used for filling or refilling cigarette or similar lighters and of a capacity not exceeding 300 cm3 (heading 36.06); (k) Products put up as charges for fire-extinguishers or put up in fire-extinguishing grenades, of heading 38.13; ink removers put up in packings for retail sale, of heading 38.24; or (l) Optical elements, for example, of ethylenediamine tartrate (heading 90.01). 3.- Goods which could be included in two or more of the headings of this Chapter are to be classified in that one of those headings which occurs last in numerical order. 4.- In headings 29.04 to 29.06, 29.08 to 29.11 and 29.13 to 29.20, any reference to halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives includes a reference to compound derivatives, such as sulphohalogenated, nitrohalogenated, nitrosulphonated or nitrosulphohalogenated derivatives. Nitro or nitroso groups are not to be taken as “nitrogen-functions” for the purposes of heading 29.29. For the purposes of headings 29.11, 29.12, 29.14, 29.18 and 29.22, “oxygen function”, the characteristic organic oxygen-containing group of those respective headings, is restricted to the oxygen-functions referred to in headings 29.05 to 29.20.