HS-2 · Chapter 28
HS chapter 28: Inorganic chemicals
Section VI — Products of the chemical or allied industries
Inorganic chemicals, including substances like sulfuric acid and carbon black, fall under HS-28. For instance, if you're importing hydrochloric acid in bulk for industrial use, this chapter is essential for determining the correct classification.
To navigate HS-4 codes, start by identifying the specific chemical or compound. For example, if your product is a type of oxide, check the relevant headings from 2801 to 2846. Each heading narrows down your options based on chemical composition and form.
Next, drill down to HS-6 by examining the notes and exclusions associated with each HS-4 heading. For example, if you're dealing with sodium hydroxide, ensure it aligns with the specifications in heading 2815 to avoid misclassification.
Pay close attention to packaging forms, purity levels, and intended end-use. If your product is a liquid solution versus a solid compound, this will influence the final code selection. Always consult with a customs broker if you're uncertain about the classification.
Terms & reference phrasing
These phrases describe how this chapter is discussed in trade, customs, and search—they stay on this page for context; they are not search shortcuts.
inorganic chemicals · precious metals compounds · sulfuric acid · hydrochloric acid · sodium hydroxide · carbon black · rare earth metals · isotopes · chemical classification · HS-28 · chemical import codes · bulk chemical shipments · acid classifications · chemical end-use · customs classification · HS-4 headings · HS-6 codes · chemical purity levels
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Pick one of these actions to move from reading to a defensible classification decision.
Related topics
Longer phrases that come up when you're comparing codes or talking to a broker.
- how to classify inorganic chemicals for customs
- finding the right HS code for sulfuric acid
- navigating HS-28 for chemical imports
- understanding HS-4 headings for trade
- determining HS-6 codes for chemical compounds
- impact of product form on HS code selection
- consulting a broker for chemical classifications
- specific notes for rare earth metal compounds
Examples & common questions
Example products are typical trade descriptions. Questions below are how people often frame classification for this chapter—use them as reading context, then confirm against your tariff book and legal notes.
Example products
- Hydrochloric acid (HS-2806) in bulk containers.
- Carbon black (HS-2803) used in rubber manufacturing.
- Sodium hydroxide (HS-2815) for chemical processing.
- Sulfuric acid (HS-2807) for battery production.
- Rare earth metal compounds (HS-2846) for electronics.
- Hydrogen peroxide (HS-2847) in industrial cleaning solutions.
- Ammonium sulfate (HS-2834) as a fertilizer.
- Cobalt oxides (HS-2822) for battery applications.
Common classification questions
- What are the HS codes for inorganic chemicals?
- How to classify hydrochloric acid for import?
- What is the difference between HS-4 and HS-6?
- How do I find the right HS code for rare earth metals?
- What notes should I check for sodium hydroxide classification?
- How to classify carbon black in trade?
- What packaging forms affect HS code selection?
- Are there specific exclusions for inorganic acids?
Questions & answers
For orientation only—the binding text is your national tariff and the WCO nomenclature your country uses.
- What types of products are classified under HS-28?
- HS-28 covers inorganic chemicals, compounds of precious metals, rare earth metals, and isotopes, including acids, oxides, and salts.
- How do I determine the correct HS-4 code?
- Identify the specific chemical or compound, then refer to the relevant HS-4 headings that categorize them based on composition and form.
- What should I check in the notes for classification?
- Review the notes for exclusions, definitions, and specific criteria that may affect the classification of your product.
- Can packaging affect the HS code I choose?
- Yes, the form of the product, such as liquid versus solid, can influence the final HS code selection.
- When should I consult a customs broker?
- Consult a customs broker if you're uncertain about the classification or if your product has complex specifications.
All HS-4 headings in chapter 28 (50)
Each HS-4 links to a dedicated page with plain-English explanation, HS-6 subheadings, and FAQs. Use Browse to open the lookup in heading mode for that line.
| HS-4 | WCO heading text | Browse |
|---|---|---|
| 2801 | Fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine | |
| 2802 | Sulphur; sublimed or precipitated, colloidal sulphur | |
| 2803 | Carbon; carbon blacks and other forms of carbon n.e.c. | |
| 2804 | Hydrogen, rare gases and other non-metals | |
| 2805 | Alkali or alkaline-earth metals; rare-earth metals, scandium and yttrium, whether or not intermixed or interalloyed; mercury | |
| 2806 | Hydrogen chloride (hydrochloric acid); chlorosulphuric acid | |
| 2807 | Sulphuric acid; oleum | |
| 2808 | Nitric acid; sulphonitric acids | |
| 2809 | Diphosphorus pentaoxide; phosphoric acid; polyphosphoric acids, whether or not chemically defined | |
| 2810 | Oxides of boron; boric acids | |
| 2811 | Inorganic acids and other inorganic oxygen compounds of non-metals; n.e.c. in heading no. 2806 to 2810 | |
| 2812 | Halides and halide oxides of non-metals | |
| 2813 | Sulphides of non-metals; commercial phosphorus trisulphide | |
| 2814 | Ammonia; anhydrous or in aqueous solution | |
| 2815 | Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda); potassium hydroxide (caustic potash) peroxides of sodium or potassium | |
| 2816 | Hydroxide and peroxide of magnesium; oxides, hydroxides and peroxides of strontium or barium | |
| 2817 | Zinc; oxide and peroxide | |
| 2818 | Aluminium oxide (including artificial corundum); aluminium hydroxide | |
| 2819 | Chromium oxides and hydroxides | |
| 2820 | Manganese oxides | |
| 2821 | Iron oxides and hydroxides; earth colours containing 70% or more by weight of combined iron evaluated as Fe2o3 | |
| 2822 | Cobalt oxides and hydroxides; commercial cobalt oxides | |
| 2823 | Titanium oxides | |
| 2824 | Lead oxides; red lead and orange lead | |
| 2825 | Hydrazine and hydroxylamine and their inorganic salts; other inorganic bases; other metal oxides, hydroxides and peroxides | |
| 2826 | Fluorides; fluorosilicates, fluoroaluminates and other complex fluorine salts | |
| 2827 | Chlorides; chloride oxides and chloride hydroxides; bromides and bromide oxides; iodides and iodide oxides | |
| 2828 | Hypochlorites; commercial calcium hypochlorite; chlorites; hypobromites | |
| 2829 | Chlorates and perchlorates; bromates and perbromates; iodates and periodates | |
| 2830 | Sulphides; polysulphides whether or not chemically defined | |
| 2831 | Dithionites and sulphoxylates | |
| 2832 | Sulphites; thiosulphates | |
| 2833 | Sulphates; alums; peroxosulphates (persulphates) | |
| 2834 | Nitrites; nitrates | |
| 2835 | Phosphinates (hypophosphites), phosphonates (phosphites), and phosphates; and polyphosphates, whether or not chemically defined | |
| 2836 | Carbonates; peroxocarbonates (percarbonates); commercial ammonium carbonate containing ammonium carbamate | |
| 2837 | Cyanides, cyanide oxides and complex cyanides | |
| 2839 | Silicates; commercial alkali metal silicates | |
| 2840 | Borates; peroxoborates (perborates) | |
| 2841 | Salts of oxometallic or peroxometallic acids | |
| 2842 | Salts of inorganic acids or peroxoacids, n.e.c. including aluminosilicates whether or not chemically defined, but excluding azides | |
| 2843 | Colloidal precious metals; inorganic or organic compounds of precious metals, whether or not chemically defined; amalgams of precious metals | |
| 2844 | Radioactive chemical elements and radioactive isotopes (including the fissile or fertile chemical elements and isotopes); and their compounds; mixtures and residues containing these products | |
| 2845 | Isotopes other than those of heading no. 2844; compounds, inorganic or organic, of such isotopes, whether or not chemically defined | |
| 2846 | Compounds, inorganic or organic, of rare-earth metals; of yttrium or of scandium or of mixtures of these metals | |
| 2847 | Hydrogen peroxide; whether or not solidified with urea | |
| 2849 | Carbides, whether or not chemically defined | |
| 2850 | Hydrides, nitrides, azides, silicides and borides, whether or not chemically defined, other than compounds which are also carbides of heading no. 2849 | |
| 2852 | Inorganic or organic compounds of mercury, excluding amalgams, whether or not chemically defined | |
| 2853 | Phosphides, chemically defined or not, not ferrophosphorus; other inorganic compounds n.e.c. (including distilled, conductivity water and water of like purity); liquid air, rare gases removed or not; compressed air; amalgams, not precious metal amalgams |
Browse first heading (HS-4 2801)
Opens the lookup in heading browse for the first HS-4 block in this chapter (2801). Prefer the table above for a specific HS-4 page with full copy.
Before you file customs documents
Chapter pages on TradeTools are educational summaries, not legal classification determinations. Cross-check candidate codes with official notes, advance rulings where available, and your broker for high-value or borderline goods.
How we classify products explains what TradeTools does (and does not) automate.