HS Code 2508Clays; (not including expanded clays of heading no. 6806), andalusite kyanite and sillimanite, whether or not calcined; mullite; chamotte or dinas earth

What HS code 2508 covers

Heading 2508 is a customs group for clays and a few close relatives. The goods are mostly natural materials taken from the ground, not finished products.

The heading names clays first. It then adds andalusite, kyanite and sillimanite, which are minerals grouped with the clays here. Mullite, chamotte and dinas earth complete the list. Many of these materials end up in heat-resistant goods such as furnace linings and refractory bricks.

One word in the legal text needs a short note. Calcined means heated to drive off water and change the material. Several codes say the goods may be calcined or not, so both raw clay and calcined clay can fit.

HS 2508 subheadings: bentonite, fireclay, mullite and more

Use the six-digit code when you need an exact match for a clay product. Here is what each one means in plain words.

• 250810: bentonite, raw or calcined. This is the code to check for the HS code for bentonite.
• 250830: fireclay, also written fire-clay, raw or calcined.
• 250840: other clays that are not named elsewhere in this heading, raw or calcined. Think of it as the catch-all code.
• 250850: andalusite, kyanite and sillimanite, raw or calcined.
• 250860: mullite. The legal text for this code has no calcined wording.
• 250870: chamotte or dinas earths.

How to classify clays: 2508 vs 2507 and 6806

The most common mix-up is with kaolin. Kaolin and other kaolinic clays, calcined or not, have their own heading, HS 2507. If your goods are kaolin, use 2507. If they are bentonite, fireclay or another clay from the list above, use 2508.

Expanded clays are a different case. They are light, puffed-up clay pieces, and they go to heading 6806. The legal text of 2508 rules them out in its first line.

A few other neighbours can look close. Siliceous fossil meals such as diatomite sit in 2512. Natural sands sit in 2505. A mineral that fits no named heading may fall under 2530, which covers mineral substances not elsewhere specified.

If the goods are mixed or the description is unclear, read the exact wording of each heading, or run the product through the HS code classifier. Rules can differ by country, so confirm the final code with your customs broker.

Import and export data for heading 2508

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. Start with the import data and export data pages, or go straight to the buyer data and supplier data pages if you want to find companies that trade in clays.