Vegetable oils; excluding low erucic acid rape or colza oil and its fractions, crude

HS code 151491 covers a wide range of vegetable oils, excluding low erucic acid rape or colza oil and its fractions in the crude form. These vegetable oils play a crucial role in the global food and industrial supply chains, serving as essential ingredients, lubricants, and raw materials for a diverse array of products. The production and trade of these oils are of significant economic importance, contributing to the overall growth and development of the agricultural and manufacturing sectors worldwide.

The production of vegetable oils under HS code 151491 typically involves a multi-step process. The primary raw materials, such as various oilseeds, are first harvested and cleaned. They are then subjected to mechanical or chemical extraction methods, such as pressing or solvent extraction, to separate the oil from the solid components. The extracted oil may undergo further refining, bleaching, and deodorization processes to improve its quality and purity, depending on the intended end-use applications.

The main inputs required for the production of vegetable oils under HS code 151491 include a variety of oilseeds, such as 120510 Rape or colza seeds, 120600 Sunflower seeds, 120720 Cotton seeds, and 120740 Sesamum seeds. Additionally, specialized machinery, such as oil presses, solvent extraction equipment, and refining systems, are essential for the efficient and large-scale production of these vegetable oils.

The primary outputs of the industry covered by HS code 151491 are various types of refined and unrefined vegetable oils, which can be used in a wide range of applications. These oils may be consumed directly as cooking or salad oils, or they can be further processed and incorporated into 151800 Animal or vegetable fats and oils and their fractions, 340111 Soap and organic surface-active products and preparations, for use as soap, in the form of bars, cakes, moulded pieces or shapes, and 382319 Prepared binders for foundry moulds or cores; chemical products and preparations of the chemical or allied industries, among other products.