HS Codes for Commodity Imports: Urea, Sulphur, Graphite, Bitumen and Metals

The Harmonised System code on your invoice determines the duty you pay, the permits you need and how quickly your cargo clears. Get it wrong and you face reclassification, penalties and a container sitting at the port. This is a working reference for the commodities we handle most — but read the caveat at the end before relying on any of it.

How HS codes are structured

The first six digits are internationally standardised under the World Customs Organization: chapter (2), heading (4), subheading (6). Beyond six digits, every country extends the code for its own tariff and statistical purposes — the EU uses eight (CN) and ten (TARIC), the US uses ten (HTSUS). The first six digits travel; the rest do not.

Fertilizers and chemicals

Product	HS code	Notes
Urea, incl. aqueous solution	3102.10	Fertilizer grade; see the urea buying guide
Ammonium sulphate	3102.21
Sulphur, all kinds	2503.00	Excludes sublimed, precipitated and colloidal
Sublimed / precipitated sulphur	2802.00	Different chapter — a common misclassification

Carbon and minerals

Product	HS code	Notes
Natural graphite, powder or flakes	2504.10
Natural graphite, other	2504.90
Artificial / synthetic graphite	3801.10	Chapter 38, not 25 — catches many first-time importers
Iron ore, non-agglomerated	2601.11	Fines and lump
Iron ore, agglomerated	2601.12	Pellets and sinter
Manganese ore	2602.00
Copper ores and concentrates	2603.00

Petroleum products

Product	HS code	Notes
Petroleum bitumen	2713.20	Standard paving and industrial bitumen
Bituminous mixtures (natural asphalt based)	2715.00	Cutbacks and emulsions may fall here

Metals

Product	HS code	Notes
Refined copper cathodes	7403.11	LME Grade A cathode
Aluminium, unwrought, not alloyed	7601.10	P1020A ingot
Aluminium, unwrought, alloyed	7601.20	Billet and alloy forms
Zinc, unwrought, not alloyed	7901.11	SHG 99.995%
Tin, unwrought, not alloyed	8001.10
Silver, unwrought	7106.91	Precious metal controls apply
Cobalt mattes and unwrought cobalt	8105.20

Soft commodities

Product	HS code	Notes
Coffee, not roasted, not decaffeinated	0901.11	Green coffee; phytosanitary certificate usually required

Where classification goes wrong

1. Natural versus synthetic graphite. Chapter 25 versus chapter 38 — different duty treatment entirely.
2. Sulphur form. 2503.00 covers most traded sulphur; sublimed and precipitated grades sit in chapter 28.
3. Alloyed versus unalloyed metal. Small alloying additions move the code and often the duty rate.
4. End-use dependent goods. Technical-grade urea for industrial use may be classified differently from fertilizer grade in some jurisdictions.
5. Bitumen products. Straight bitumen, cutbacks and emulsions do not all share a heading.

Getting it right

• Confirm the full national code with the destination customs authority or a licensed broker — not with the seller
• Where value is significant, apply for a binding tariff ruling in advance; it is free or low cost in most jurisdictions and removes the argument entirely
• Check preferential trade agreements — origin can change the duty more than classification does
• Keep the certificate of analysis consistent with the declared code; a COA that contradicts the classification invites inspection

Important: the six-digit codes above are the internationally harmonised headings and are provided as a starting point for discussion, not as customs advice. National extensions, duty rates, licensing and preferential treatment vary by country and change over time. Always confirm with the destination customs authority or a licensed customs broker before shipping.

CommoFlow prepares full export documentation — certificate of origin, analysis and inspection — for every cargo. Talk to our desk about a specific product and destination.