HS Codes for Petrochemicals: Six-Digit Headings and Why They Matter

An HS code is the number customs authorities use to identify a product, and the first six digits are the same in most trading countries. Every importing country then adds its own digits and its own rules, so the six-digit headings in this guide are a starting point, not a ruling. Confirm the code against the importing country's current tariff, and with your customs broker, before it goes on a document.

This guide explains how the system is built, why a wrong code is expensive, and which six-digit headings normally apply to the petrochemicals and minerals we see in bulk trade. It is general guidance, not customs or legal advice. We do not give duty rates here: rates, quotas and restrictions differ by country and change over time.

What an HS code is

The Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System, usually called the HS, is an international product nomenclature maintained by the World Customs Organization. It gives every traded good a numerical code so that customs services, statisticians and traders speak the same language. Most trading nations use it as the base of their customs tariffs.

The structure is hierarchical:

• Section and chapter. The first two digits identify the chapter. Chapter 25 covers salt, sulphur, earths and stone; Chapter 27 mineral fuels and oils, including bitumen; Chapter 28 inorganic chemicals; Chapter 31 fertilisers; Chapter 38 miscellaneous chemical products; Chapter 39 plastics in primary forms and articles of plastics.
• Heading. Digits one to four, for example 2713.
• Subheading. Digits one to six, for example 2713.20. This is the level common to HS users worldwide.

Classification follows the HS General Rules of Interpretation. The first rule is that the wording of the headings and the notes to the sections and chapters comes first. A product is classified by what it is, how it is made and what form it takes, not by what you call it in your sales brochure, and not by what you intend to use it for unless the heading says so.

Six digits internationally, more digits nationally

The six-digit subheading is the international level. Beyond that, each country or customs union adds digits for its own tariff, statistics and controls. National extensions commonly run to eight digits, and some go to ten or more. Examples include the European Union's eight-digit Combined Nomenclature, which feeds a ten-digit integrated tariff, the ten-digit United States tariff schedule, and the eight-digit Indian tariff. Your country will have its own structure.

The consequences:

• The same six digits can lead to different national lines. A national tariff might split a six-digit subheading by grade, purity, packaging or use. The duty, licence or quality-control rule can differ between the lines.
• Two countries can rate the same code differently. The code is common; the rate, the licence regime, and the standards are not.
• The HS is revised periodically. The WCO updates the nomenclature on a cycle of roughly five years. Codes can be split, merged or moved. Check which edition your country applies on the date of import.

So a six-digit code from a supplier tells you where to look in your tariff. It does not tell you the final line, the duty or whether the product needs a permit.

Why misclassification costs money

A wrong code is not a paperwork error. It affects the duty paid, the speed of clearance and your exposure after the cargo has gone.

• Wrong duty. Underpaying invites a demand for the difference, often with penalties and interest. Overpaying is money you may never recover.
• Penalties and audits. Customs authorities can audit past declarations and reassess them. The look-back period and the penalties depend on the country.
• Delays at the port. A declaration that does not match the goods draws a query, an inspection or a hold. Cargo that waits at a berth or terminal builds up storage charges and, on a ship, demurrage. See our guide to laytime and demurrage.
• Missed or lost preferences. Preferential tariff treatment under trade agreements depends on classification as well as origin.
• Wrong controls. Import licences, technical regulations, trade remedies and quality-certification schemes are often tied to specific codes. The wrong code can put a product under a rule that does not apply, or miss one that does.
• Document mismatches. A code on the invoice that disagrees with the packing list, the certificate of origin or the customs declaration prompts questions. Where a letter of credit is involved, inconsistent data can contribute to discrepancies. See our export shipping documents guide.

Decision rule. The importer is normally the party who answers to its own customs authority, so the importer's broker should confirm the national classification. The seller's role is to describe the product precisely and to state a six-digit heading on its documents that agrees with that description.

Six-digit headings for the products we trade

The table lists the six-digit headings that normally apply to our core products. Check the right-hand column before you rely on a heading, because grade, form, blend and packaging can move a product to another heading.

These headings are a guide. They must be confirmed against the importing country's current tariff, and by a customs broker, before use.

Notes on specific products

Bitumen. The six-digit heading is for petroleum bitumen as such. Bitumen that has been cut back with solvent, emulsified or blended with other materials can be classified elsewhere. Describe the product as supplied: grade, such as Bitumen 60/70, and whether it is neat or modified.

Urea. The six-digit heading is for urea, whether or not in aqueous solution. Prilled and granular urea normally share it; see our prilled urea page. Fertiliser products in very small packs or tablets may be classified in another heading, so declare pack size. Mixtures containing urea, such as urea with other fertilising elements, are not the same product.

Sulphur. The six-digit heading is for sulphur of all kinds except the sublimed, precipitated and colloidal types. State the form (granular, lump or powder) on your documents; see our sulphur page.

Caustic soda. Solid and solution have separate subheadings, so name the form and, for solution, give the concentration. See caustic soda. Flakes, pearls and solid blocks are all solid, but state which on the packing list.

Polymers. The Chapter 39 headings for polyethylene and polypropylene apply to the resin in primary forms such as granules, powder and pellets. Films, sheets, bags and articles are classified elsewhere. For polyethylene, density separates the low-density subheading from the high-density one. A separate subheading exists for ethylene-alpha-olefin copolymers below the same density limit, which is where many linear low-density grades are placed, depending on composition.

The chapter's subheading notes generally require a polymer named with the prefix "poly" to contain 95 per cent or more of the named monomer by weight. A grade with more comonomer than that can fall outside the plain polyethylene or polypropylene subheading, and propylene copolymers have their own subheading in the HS. Check the exact note wording in the current edition, and look up the grade rather than the family name. See our product pages for HDPE, LDPE and polypropylene, and our guide to HDPE, LDPE and LLDPE differences.

Base oil. The six-digit heading is for petroleum oils that are not light oils or waste oils. Heading rules turn on the proportion of petroleum oil in a preparation, so a finished lubricant with an additive package can classify differently from a base oil. For the grades, see base oil groups explained and the base oil page.

Activated carbon. The six-digit heading is for activated carbon. Confirm that your grade is activated carbon rather than another activated material, and describe the raw material and form. See activated carbon.

Calcium carbonate. The six-digit heading in the table is for precipitated calcium carbonate. Ground natural calcium carbonate is different: its classification depends on the material and the form, for instance whether it is limestone, marble or chalk, whether it is ground or processed, and whether it is coated. Confirm the classification of ground calcium carbonate with your customs broker rather than borrowing the precipitated heading. See calcium carbonate and our guide to ground versus precipitated calcium carbonate.

Why the same material can land in different headings

Four features of a product move it between headings, and each should appear in your description.

• Form. Solid or solution, granules or film, powder or lump. Caustic soda and polyethylene show this clearly.
• Composition. Pure material or mixture, homopolymer or copolymer, base oil or finished lubricant. A blend is classified by the rules for mixtures, not by its main ingredient alone.
• Processing. Sublimed, precipitated, coated, activated or modified. Processing can move a product to another chapter.
• Packaging. Usually irrelevant to the heading, but small retail packs of some fertilisers are an exception.

If a data sheet leaves any of these unclear, ask the producer before you ask customs.

How to settle the right code

Work through the steps in order.

1. Describe the product precisely. Chemical name, grade, form, purity or concentration, packaging and intended use. A technical data sheet and a safety data sheet help.
2. Find the six-digit heading in the current edition of the nomenclature and read the chapter and section notes, not just the heading title.
3. Move to your national tariff. Locate the line under the six-digit heading that matches the product. Read the national notes.
4. Ask your broker to confirm it. For a repeat import, ask whether an advance classification ruling from customs is available in your country and worth the effort.
5. Check the controls tied to the code. Licences, standards, certificates and trade remedies.
6. Tell the seller before you order. Send the confirmed national code in your request for quotation so that the commercial documents can use consistent descriptions. For help writing one, see our RFQ guide.
7. Keep the file. Record how the code was chosen, the data sheet used and the broker's confirmation, in case of a later audit.

What to put in your RFQ

A classification problem usually starts with a thin description. Give the following, and the code is easier to confirm.

• Product name and grade, including the standard or specification you work to.
• Form, purity or concentration, and any additives or coating.
• Packaging type and size.
• Intended use, if it affects national rules.
• The importing country and your broker's confirmed national code, if you have one.
• Any permit, standard or certificate you need on the documents.

Our RFQ guide lists the commercial details to add.

Common classification mistakes

• Copying last year's code. The nomenclature and the national tariff change, so a code that worked on the last order may no longer be right.
• Classifying by trade name. "Resin", "oil" and "carbon" are not descriptions. The heading depends on chemistry and form.
• Choosing a code to match a duty or a quota. Customs authorities compare the declaration with the goods, and a code that does not fit the description is the one they notice.
• Treating the six-digit heading as the whole answer. The national line, notes and controls decide the outcome.
• Letting several people choose. If the seller, the forwarder and the broker each use a different code, the documents disagree. Name one owner for the final declaration.
• Ignoring the hazard classification. Dangerous goods classes and UN numbers are separate from HS codes and come from different rules. A product can need both.

Keeping documents consistent

The code, the description and the weights should agree across every document. Aim for one source of truth.

• Use the same product name, grade, form and packaging wording on the invoice, packing list, certificate of analysis and certificate of origin.
• Keep the six-digit heading identical wherever it appears.
• Make sure the description matches what a customs officer would see on inspection: a "polymer" is not an adequate description of high-density polyethylene granules.
• If your broker uses a national code with more digits than the seller states, keep the first six digits aligned.
• Do not edit a code on a copy. Request a corrected original.
• Remember the export side. The export declaration at the loading port also carries a code, and it should share its first six digits with the code the importer declares.

What a seller can and cannot do

A seller can describe the goods accurately, state a six-digit heading that fits the description, and reflect your confirmed code on commercial documents if you provide it in time. A seller cannot guarantee the national line, the duty or the licence position in your country. Treat any assurance on those points with caution, including from us.

When you send an RFQ to a supplier, ask for the six-digit heading shown on the proforma invoice, compare it with your broker's view, and resolve any difference before the order, not at the port.

Frequently asked questions

Is the HS code the same in every country?

The first six digits are the same in most trading countries because they follow the international nomenclature. Beyond six digits, national tariffs add their own digits and rules, and the duty and controls differ by country.

Who is responsible for the correct HS code?

The importer answers to its own customs authority for the code it declares, usually through a customs broker. The exporter is responsible for the export declaration and for describing the goods accurately on its documents. Agree in the contract who supplies what, and rely on your broker for the final national classification.

Can I use the same code for LDPE, HDPE and LLDPE?

No. Polyethylene is split by density, and the HS has a separate subheading for ethylene-alpha-olefin copolymers, where many linear low-density grades sit. The right code depends on the resin's specific gravity and composition. Check the data sheet and confirm with your broker.

What if my customs broker's code differs from the seller's?

Resolve it before shipment. Share the product data sheet with the broker, ask which classification rule supports their code, and align the documents. If the difference is genuine and material, consider asking customs for an advance ruling.

Does the HS code change what the product is?

No. The code is a label under a legal system, not a technical specification. A correct code follows an accurate description; changing the code to reach a lower duty does not change the product and can lead to penalties.

Can a code change over time?

Yes. The HS is revised periodically, and national tariffs change more often. Confirm the code against the tariff in force on the date of import, particularly for repeat orders placed under an older code.

Next step

If you are preparing a request for quotation and want the product description, grade and six-digit heading agreed before the offer, send your requirements to the Chemineral trade desk through our contact page. Include your broker's confirmed national code if you have it. Firm offers are valid for 72 hours.