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Chapter 26 Ores, slag and ash

21 headings · 37 six-digit codes · World Customs Organization Harmonized System

HS code 26 sorts raw metal ores and the waste left after metal is made or burned. Use this page to find the heading for iron, copper or manganese ore, for slag, or for ash and residues.

Chapter 26 is broad rather than deep: 21 headings between 2601 and 2621, 13 of which carry exactly one six-digit code. 37 codes in total, so most classification decisions here are settled at the four-digit heading. The chapter sits in Section V, Mineral Products, alongside 2 other chapters.

Headings in this chapter

2601Iron ores and concentrates; including roasted iron pyrites260111 to 260120e.g. 260111 — Iron ores and concentrates; non-agglomerated2602Manganese ores and concentrates, including ferruginous manganese ores and concentrates with a manganese content of 20% or more, calculated on the dry weighte.g. 260200 — Manganese ores and concentrates, including ferruginous manganese ores and concentrates with a manganese content of 20% or more, calculated on the dry weight2603Copper ores and concentratese.g. 260300 — Copper ores and concentrates2604Nickel ores and concentratese.g. 260400 — Nickel ores and concentrates2605Cobalt ores and concentratese.g. 260500 — Cobalt ores and concentrates2606Aluminium ores and concentratese.g. 260600 — Aluminium ores and concentrates2607Lead ores and concentratese.g. 260700 — Lead ores and concentrates2608Zinc ores and concentratese.g. 260800 — Zinc ores and concentrates2609Tin ores and concentratese.g. 260900 — Tin ores and concentrates2610Chromium ores and concentratese.g. 261000 — Chromium ores and concentrates2611Tungsten ores and concentratese.g. 261100 — Tungsten ores and concentrates2612Uranium or thorium ores and concentrates261210 to 261220e.g. 261210 — Uranium ores and concentrates2613Molybdenum ores and concentrates261310 to 261390e.g. 261310 — Molybdenum ores and concentrates; roasted2614Titanium ores and concentratese.g. 261400 — Titanium ores and concentrates2615Niobium, tantalum, vanadium or zirconium ores and concentrates261510 to 261590e.g. 261510 — Zirconium ores and concentrates2616Precious metal ores and concentrates261610 to 261690e.g. 261610 — Silver ores and concentrates2617Ores and concentrates; n.e.c. in heading no. 2601261710 to 261790e.g. 261710 — Antimony ores and concentrates2618Granulated slag (slag sand) from the manufacture of iron or steele.g. 261800 — Slag, granulated (slag sand); from the manufacture or iron or steel2619Slag, dross; (other than granulated slag), scalings and other waste from the manufacture of iron or steele.g. 261900 — Slag, dross; (other than granulated slag), scalings and other waste from the manufacture of iron or steel2620Slag, ash and residues; (not from the manufacture of iron or steel) containing metals, arsenic or their compounds262011 to 262099e.g. 262011 — Slag, ash and residues; (not from the manufacture of iron or steel), containing mainly zinc, hard zinc spelter2621Slag and ash n.e.c. in chapter 26; including seaweed ash (kelp) and ash and residues from the incineration of municipal waste262110 to 262190e.g. 262110 — Slag and ash; ash and residues from the incineration of municipal waste
Chapter 25All chaptersChapter 27

HS code 26 headings for ores and concentrates (2601-2617)

The first part of the chapter is about ores. An ore is rock that holds a metal. A concentrate is the same ore after much of the waste rock has been removed. Most headings are named after one metal, so the metal usually leads you to the right heading.

Iron ore sits in heading 2601, together with roasted iron pyrites. Manganese ore is in 2602 and copper concentrate is in 2603. Zinc ores are in 2608. Nickel, cobalt, aluminium, lead, tin, chromium, tungsten and titanium each have a heading of their own, running from 2604 to 2614.

Some headings group several metals. Heading 2612 holds uranium and thorium ores, and heading 2615 covers niobium, tantalum, vanadium and zirconium ores. Heading 2616 is the home of precious metal ores, with silver split out from the rest. Heading 2617 is a catch-all for ores named nowhere else, and antimony ore is placed there.

  • Iron: heading 2601
  • Manganese: heading 2602
  • Copper: heading 2603
  • Zinc: heading 2608
  • Precious metals: heading 2616

What is the HS code for slag from iron and steel? (2618-2621)

The second part of the chapter covers waste. Slag is the glassy or stony material left when metal is melted. Dross is the scum that floats on top. Scalings are the flakes that fall off hot metal.

Granulated slag, also called slag sand, has its own heading, 2618. Every other kind of slag, dross, scalings and waste from the manufacture of iron or steel goes in heading 2619.

Heading 2620 is for slag, ash and residues that come from any other industry and contain metals, arsenic or their compounds. It is split by the main metal inside, such as zinc, lead, copper or aluminium. Heading 2621 takes what is left, such as seaweed ash (kelp) and ash from burning municipal waste.

How to classify a product under tariff chapter 26

Customs classification here is mostly simple. Work through a short list of questions in order.

Start by asking whether the item is an ore or a waste. Ores go to 2601-2617 and wastes go to 2618-2621. For an ore, the metal inside picks the heading. For a waste, ask where it came from. If it came out of ironmaking or steelmaking, use 2618 or 2619. If it came from elsewhere and holds metals, use 2620. If it fits none of these, try 2621.

Watch the small splits. Iron ore is divided by whether it has been agglomerated, and molybdenum ore is divided by whether it has been roasted. Check the exact wording of each code before you decide. The HS code classifier can help you test a product.

Also look at the neighbouring chapters of the Harmonized System. Chapter 25 holds salt, sulphur, earths, stone, plaster, lime and cement. Chapter 27 holds mineral fuels, oils and waxes. A fuel or a quarried stone does not belong in chapter 26, even though it comes out of the ground.

HS code 26 import and export data

Importers and exporters of ores can use shipment records to see who trades each heading. 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.

Related

Other chapters in Section V

Mineral Products covers chapters 25–27.

These codes carry real shipments.

EximDataX shows the live import–export records filed under Chapter 26: named buyers, suppliers, quantities and values from official customs feeds.

See live data for Chapter 26
Straight answers

HS Chapter 26: common questions

What is HS code 26?

It is the chapter customs uses to name mined metal ores, slag and ash on trade papers. Each product inside it gets a heading and a code.

What is the HS code for iron ore?

Use 260111 when the ore is not agglomerated and 260112 when it is. Roasted iron pyrites has its own code, 260120.

What is the HS code for granulated slag?

Slag sand is classified as 261800. Other slag and dross are placed in heading 2619 instead.

What is the HS code for precious metal ores?

Look in the group at heading 2616. Silver has the code 261610, and 261690 is the code for the remaining metals in that group.

What is the difference between HS 2619 and 2620?

Heading 2619 holds waste from ironmaking and steelmaking. Heading 2620 holds metal-bearing residues that come from every other source.

What is the HS code for roasted molybdenum ore?

Roasted molybdenum ore is 261310. Molybdenum ore that has not been roasted is 261390.

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