Which tariff line does a Netherlands importer declare for bulk shea butter?

Start from HS heading 1515.90. Netherlands extends that heading to the national line recorded on this page (1515 90 99 . Solid, other; fluid (Combined Nomenclature / TARIC)). The importer, not the exporter's six-digit invoice code, confirms the full statistical number on the Netherlands tariff for the entry date.

Does NVWA make a Nigerian factory register before selling shea butter into the Netherlands?

NVWA rules apply to the Netherlands responsible person or importer for finished cosmetics or food, as this guide states. A factory that only supplies bulk drums should not assume it must open a local portal account. Finished-product notification stays with the buyer in Netherlands.

Which documents travel with a Lagos container bound for Rotterdam?

EMI Agro issues the commercial invoice, packing list and a Certificate of Analysis per batch. The carrier issues the bill of lading. Nigerian export files (certificate of origin and Form NXP) travel with the shipment. Netherlands import filings — the customs declaration and any NVWA notice — are the buyer's.

How long does a typical West Africa service take from Lagos to Rotterdam?

Ocean time to Rotterdam is shown on this page as a typical West Africa container range, not a booked schedule. Confirm the live ETD/ETA on the carrier tool when you book. Inland time from Rotterdam to a warehouse in Netherlands is extra.

Is shea butter duty-free in the Netherlands?

Duty follows the vegetable-fat / oils-and-fats bracket on heading 1515.90 in Netherlands, plus VAT or GST where charged. Some markets (for example a Free general rate on a nut-oil line) publish a zero Column 1 rate; others do not. Read the tariff note on this page and confirm on the entry date. EMI Agro does not compute landed duty.

What language belongs on a Netherlands shea butter label?

Labelling in Dutch. Bulk industrial drums follow the language agreed on the contract. Finished consumer packs follow NVWA labelling rules in Netherlands.

Import guide

How to Import Shea Butter into the Netherlands

Tariff line, regulator, documents, transit from Lagos and clearance for the Netherlands — every fact sourced and dated.

Shea butter enters the Netherlands under HS heading 1515.90 — 1515 90 99 in the national tariff — and is overseen by CPNP for cosmetic use and Butyrospermum parkii for food use. To import it, confirm the tariff line and duty, complete the Finished cosmetics are notified once in CPNP, assemble the documents below, ship from Lagos to Rotterdam (18–28 days).

Key facts for importing shea butter into the Netherlands (sources and dates in References)

Customs authority: NVWA / national customs applies Union TARIC measures on the entry. Shea butter is declared under heading 1515.90.
Cosmetics authority: The Cosmetic Products Notification Portal (CPNP) implements Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. A Responsible Person notifies finished cosmetics before placing them on the Union market.
Food authority: Shea is named in Directive 2000/36/EC as a vegetable fat that may be used in chocolate (Butyrospermum parkii). Edible-fat entries follow Union food law as applied by the Member State.
National tariff line: 1515 90 99
Product notification: Finished cosmetics are notified once in CPNP. There is no second national notification inside the Union.
Ports of discharge: Rotterdam
Transit from Lagos: 18–28 days
Certification priority: EU Organic (EOS), COSMOS, HACCP
Labelling language: Labelling in Dutch
Specific to Netherlands: NVWA is the named Netherlands authority on this page.
Specific to Netherlands (2): Lagos boxes for Netherlands are planned for Rotterdam (NLRTM).
Specific to Netherlands (3): Rotterdam is the named inland or port hub for Netherlands.

Nigerian shea butter for the Netherlands

Netherlands does not grow shea. The butter on a Netherlands COA is West African — EMI Agro presses it in Ibadan from wild-collected nuts. Rotterdam is the oils-and-fats door for much of Northern Europe, including Swiss and German inland boxes. EMI Agro works with 5,000+ women collectors in Kwara, Niger, Kaduna, Kogi. Rotterdam is the usual discharge.

Ask for a batch COA on a NIS 571:2013 basis: free fatty acid, peroxide value, moisture, colour and melting point. Reject lots that smell sharply rancid or pour like liquid oil at room temperature. NVWA filings sit with the Netherlands importer — they do not replace a COA.

Trial lots start at 5 tonnes; standard orders start at 20 tonnes. Send the request even if you need less — EMI Agro reviews every Netherlands enquiry against current production of 40 tonnes per week of finished shea butter and can schedule rolling shipments. Lead time is Ibadan production plus ocean time to Rotterdam. Quotes are EXW, FOB or CIF; each term prices different services beyond the butter.

What are you buying shea butter for in Netherlands?

Two questions. We show the grade, the documents that usually apply and the next step — we do not invent a price.

Use

Quantity

Step 1 — Classify & tariff

Shea butter is classified under HS heading 1515.90 worldwide; the Netherlands extends it to the national line below.

Tariff classification for shea butter in the Netherlands (sources and dates in References)
Item	Value	Source
HS heading	1515.90 — global	Harmonized System
National tariff line	1515 90 99 — Solid, other; fluid (Combined Nomenclature / TARIC). Immediate packs under 1 kg may fall on 1515 90 91.	eur-lex.europa.eu
Duty and tax note	Conventional rate for 1515 90 99 is 9,6 %.	eur-lex.europa.eu
Preference scheme and proof of origin	Member-state import VAT is charged on top. Nigeria remains a standard GSP beneficiary; preference is claimed with a REX statement on origin. Confirm the line on TARIC for the entry date.	eur-lex.europa.eu

Conventional rate for 1515 90 99 is 9,6 %. Member-state import VAT is charged on top. Nigeria remains a standard GSP beneficiary; preference is claimed with a REX statement on origin. Confirm the line on TARIC for the entry date.

Why the first six digits are the same everywhere is explained in the exporting and importing shea butter guide.

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Step 2 — Regulatory registration
In the Netherlands, cosmetic-grade shea butter falls under NVWA; food-grade under the food authority.
Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 applies directly. Bulk shea butter as a raw material is not itself a CPNP-notified finished cosmetic; the finished-product Responsible Person files.
Finished cosmetics are notified once in CPNP. There is no second national notification inside the Union.
Edible vegetable fats follow Union food-law official controls in the Member State of first placing on the market.
Finished cosmetics sold to consumers must carry the official language of the Member State of sale. Bulk industrial drums follow the contract language.
Buyers in Netherlands most often ask for EU Organic (EOS), COSMOS and HACCP; status is on our certifications page. See EU Organic (EOS), COSMOS, HACCP and our certifications page.

Step 3 — Required documents

The documents below are those NVWA lists for a shea butter consignment; EMI Agro issues the ones marked as ours.

Documents for importing shea butter into the Netherlands (sources and dates in References)
Document	Issued by	When
Commercial invoice	EMI Agro	At booking
Packing list	EMI Agro	At stuffing
Bill of lading	Carrier	On vessel departure
Certificate of Analysis (per batch)	EMI Agro	With shipping documents
Certificate of origin	Nigerian agency	Before shipment
Form NXP	Nigerian agency	Before shipment
REX statement on origin	Nigerian agency	On the commercial document
EORI number of the importer	Buyer / importer	Before the customs declaration

Nigerian export-side documents are explained in how to import shea butter from Nigeria; the COA format is on the certificate of analysis page.

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Step 4 — Shipping & Incoterms
EMI Agro loads at Apapa (Lagos) and Tin Can Island (Lagos) for the Netherlands discharge at the ports below.
Typical sea transit from Lagos to the Netherlands (port-to-port days; confirm on the booking)
Port UN/LOCODE Transit (days) Schedules read on
Rotterdam NLRTM 18–28 September 2026
EXW: buyer arranges collection, freight and insurance from the factory.
FOB: EMI Agro delivers on board at the named Lagos port; buyer arranges ocean freight.
CIF: EMI Agro arranges freight and insurance to the named discharge port.
Container configuration is calculated separately — use the shea export container calculator and the container notes on the export overview.
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Step 5 — Customs clearance & inspection
Clearance in the Netherlands is handled through NVWA.
Dutch Customs clears vegetable-fat containers at Rotterdam through the national declaration system. An EORI number is required.

Typical sea transit from Lagos to the Netherlands (port-to-port days; confirm on the booking)
Port	UN/LOCODE	Transit (days)	Schedules read on
Rotterdam	NLRTM	18–28	September 2026

Working with EMI Agro

MOQ: Standard orders start at 20 tonnes. Trial lots start at 5 tonnes. Smaller volumes can still be requested — we review every enquiry against current production.
Lead time: Lead time is Ibadan production time plus ocean time to the named port. EMI Agro produces 40 tonnes per week of finished shea butter and can schedule rolling shipments. Exact weeks depend on the quantity on the purchase order.
Incoterms: EXW, FOB, CIF
Samples: Trial lots start at 5 tonnes of the named grade. Send the request even if you need less — we review whether we can supply.
Load ports: Apapa (Lagos) and Tin Can Island (Lagos)

For the Netherlands buyers our supplier page covers MOQ, price basis, packaging and lead time in detail. Shea butter supplier in the Netherlands.

For commodity background see the complete guide to shea butter.

How to import shea butter into the European Union

How to import shea butter into Germany

How to import shea butter into France

How to import shea butter from Nigeria

Nigerian export-side procedure before the container sails.

Shea export container calculator

How many drums fit a container.

Exporting shea butter from Nigeria

HS heading, load ports and the country-guide hub.

Certificate of Analysis

How a batch COA is reported.

Frequently asked questions

References & standards

belastingdienst.nl (accessed 13 September 2026)
single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu (accessed 13 September 2026)
eur-lex.europa.eu (accessed 13 September 2026)
eur-lex.europa.eu (accessed 13 September 2026)
trade.ec.europa.eu (accessed 13 September 2026)
maersk.com (accessed 13 September 2026)

Last reviewed September 2026 by EMI Agro Industries QC team.

Manufacturer-direct from Ibadan, Nigeria

Get an export quote for the Netherlands

Tell us grade, volume and your port of discharge in the Netherlands; we reply with pricing, the document set and a current COA.

You have just read How to Import Shea Butter into the Netherlands. The next step is a real lot from the factory that produces it — EMI Agro, with factory-direct pricing and a batch Certificate of Analysis.

Trusted manufacturer
EMI Agro Industries Limited (RC 9364495) presses the butter in Ibadan — we are not a trading company.
Competitive factory-direct prices
Quoted EXW, FOB or CIF — the buyer chooses. You pay the factory, not a chain of middlemen.
Export-ready supply
We ship to European Union, United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Southeast Asia, China, India, Middle East, Latin America. Load ports: Apapa (Lagos) or Tin Can Island (Lagos).
Documented lots
40 tonnes per week of finished shea butter, a Certificate of Analysis on every batch, NAFDAC registered and SON approved.

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