HS Code 2501Salt (including table salt and denatured salt); pure sodium chloride whether or not in aqueous solution; sea water

What HS code 2501 covers

The Harmonized System is a shared list of product names and numbers. Customs offices around the world use it. Heading 2501 is where that list puts salt. Some countries call their version the HSN code 2501.

The wording of the heading is wide, so it helps to read it slowly. These goods fit:

• Ordinary salt, including table salt
• Denatured salt
• Pure sodium chloride, dry or dissolved in water
• Sea water

Salt HS code and sodium chloride HS code: the small print

People who search for the salt HS code or the sodium chloride HS code end up at this heading. The key phrase is pure sodium chloride whether or not in aqueous solution. A water solution of pure sodium chloride stays here. It does not move to a chemicals chapter just because it is wet.

Denatured salt is salt that has been treated so people should not eat it. The heading names it, so it sits beside table salt.

Sea water looks like an odd traded good. Customs still needs a place for it, and this heading gives it one.

HS 250100: the only six-digit code

Many headings split into several six-digit codes. This one has just one, so there are no subheading classifications to choose between.

The real task is to decide whether your goods belong in this heading at all. Countries may add extra digits after the sixth for their own tariffs, and those digits differ from place to place. The international code stays the same. If you are unsure about a product, try the HS code classifier.

How 2501 differs from nearby headings

Chapter 25 is full of raw minerals, and some headings sit close to salt. A few quick checks help you avoid the wrong one.

Heading 2530 is for mineral substances not elsewhere specified or included. It is a catch-all. Salt is named in 2501, so it does not belong in the catch-all.

Heading 2528 covers natural borates and their concentrates, but not borates separated from natural brine. Brine can sound like sea water. A borate is still a different product from sodium chloride.

Both are minerals, and neither is salt.

A good rule is to read the heading words, not just the product name. If your goods match the words in 2501, they go in 2501.

Salt import and export data under HS 2501

Traders often ask who buys and sells salt. Start with the salt import data and salt export data pages, then check the buyer data and supplier data pages for the other side of each deal.

EximDataX shows shipment-level import and export records from official customs sources. You can search by HS code to see who imports and exports a product, and book a free demo.

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.