HS Code 0508Coral and similar materials, unworked or simply prepared, shells of molluscs, crustaceans or echinoderms and cuttle-bone, not cut to shape powder and waste thereof

What HS code 0508 covers

This heading is for hard animal materials that come from the sea. It takes coral and similar materials. It takes the shells of molluscs, such as snails and clams. It takes crustacean shells, such as those of crabs. It takes the shells of echinoderms, such as sea urchins. Cuttle-bone, the chalky inner plate of a cuttlefish, is in here too.

In plain words, they are raw or only given light handling, such as cleaning. They must also not be cut to shape. Powder and waste made from these materials are covered as well, so crushed shell fits this heading.

If a shell has been carved, polished into a finished piece or shaped by cutting, it no longer fits here. In that case, check the item in the HS code classifier before you file or quote a code. The World Customs Organization sets the wording, so the same heading is used by customs offices across the world.

• Coral and similar materials
• Shells of molluscs, crustaceans and echinoderms
• Cuttle-bone
• Powder and waste of the above

What product does HS code 050800 refer to?

Every product in this heading goes to 050800. There is no finer split at the six-digit level, so the choice is easy once you know the goods fit 0508. You may see people search for it as HSN code 0508 or HTS code 0508. These are national names for the same HS numbers. A country may add its own extra digits after the first six, and those extra digits are set by that country, not by the WCO.

Here is the path from the top of the system down to the code:

• Section I: Live Animals; Animal Products
• Chapter 05: Animal originated products; not elsewhere specified or included
• Heading 0508: coral, shells and cuttle-bone
• Code 050800

Difference between HS 0507 and 0508, and other close headings

Several headings in Chapter 05 sound alike, so it helps to know where each one stops. A simple rule: 0508 is for coral, shells and cuttle-bone. Horn, ivory and similar parts belong next door.

Tortoise-shell is the one that trips people up. It has "shell" in its name, but it sits in 0507.

If your goods are bone or bone powder, look there, not at coral or shell.

Heading 0510 is for items such as ambergris, musk, civet, bile and glands used to make medicines. Heading 0511 is the catch-all for animal products not named anywhere else, plus dead animals of chapter 1 or 3 that are unfit to eat. If your goods are not coral or shell and do not fit a named heading, 0511 may be the place to check.

Other headings in Chapter 05

Chapter 05 groups animal goods that do not belong in the food chapters. Beyond the headings above, it includes hair, bristles, guts and feathers. These pages help you compare scope and check that you have the right heading.

• HS 0501: human hair and its waste
• HS 0502: pigs', hogs' or boars' bristles and hair
• HS 0504: guts, bladders and stomachs of animals other than fish
• HS 0505: bird skins, feathers and down

Who imports coral and shells under HS 0508?

Buyers and sellers of these goods file customs records under 0508 and its code, 050800. Those records are what you need if you want to find real trading partners.

EximDataX shows shipment-level import and export records from official customs sources. Coverage: 43 direct customs feeds plus 184 mirror-derived countries. Named buyers and named suppliers are available in 38 of the 43 direct markets. Most markets refresh weekly and some refresh daily. You can search by HS code to see who imports and exports a product, and book a free demo.

Duty rates differ by country and are not listed on this page. Search the code on EximDataX to see the live records for your market.