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Chapter 28 Inorganic chemicals; organic and inorganic compounds of precious metals; of rare earth metals, of radio-active elements and of isotopes

50 headings · 180 six-digit codes · World Customs Organization Harmonized System

HS code 28 inorganic chemicals cover the basic materials of industry: acids, alkalis, metal oxides and salts. The chapter also holds compounds of precious metals, rare earths and radioactive elements.

Chapter 28 is one of the widest in the nomenclature: 50 separate four-digit headings between 2801 and 2853, carrying 180 six-digit codes. 10 of the headings stop at a single code; the rest split further, the furthest being 2804 (Hydrogen, rare gases and other non-metals). The chapter sits in Section VI, Products of the Chemical or Allied Industries, alongside 10 other chapters.

Headings in this chapter

2801Fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine280110 to 280130e.g. 280110 — Chlorine2802Sulphur; sublimed or precipitated, colloidal sulphure.g. 280200 — Sulphur; sublimed or precipitated, colloidal sulphur2803Carbon; carbon blacks and other forms of carbon n.e.c.e.g. 280300 — Carbon; carbon blacks and other forms of carbon n.e.c.2804Hydrogen, rare gases and other non-metals280410 to 280490e.g. 280410 — Hydrogen2805Alkali or alkaline-earth metals; rare-earth metals, scandium and yttrium, whether or not intermixed or interalloyed; mercury280511 to 280540e.g. 280511 — Alkali or alkali-earth metals; sodium2806Hydrogen chloride (hydrochloric acid); chlorosulphuric acid280610 to 280620e.g. 280610 — Hydrogen chloride (hydrochloric acid)2807Sulphuric acid; oleume.g. 280700 — Sulphuric acid; oleum2808Nitric acid; sulphonitric acidse.g. 280800 — Nitric acid; sulphonitric acids2809Diphosphorus pentaoxide; phosphoric acid; polyphosphoric acids, whether or not chemically defined280910 to 280920e.g. 280910 — Diphosphorus pentoxide2810Oxides of boron; boric acidse.g. 281000 — Oxides of boron; boric acids2811Inorganic acids and other inorganic oxygen compounds of non-metals; n.e.c. in heading no. 2806 to 2810281111 to 281129e.g. 281111 — Hydrogen fluoride (hydrofluoric acid)2812Halides and halide oxides of non-metals281211 to 281290e.g. 281211 — Carbonyl dichloride (phosgene)2813Sulphides of non-metals; commercial phosphorus trisulphide281310 to 281390e.g. 281310 — Carbon disulphide2814Ammonia; anhydrous or in aqueous solution281410 to 281420e.g. 281410 — Ammonia; anhydrous2815Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda); potassium hydroxide (caustic potash) peroxides of sodium or potassium281511 to 281530e.g. 281511 — Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda); solid2816Hydroxide and peroxide of magnesium; oxides, hydroxides and peroxides of strontium or barium281610 to 281640e.g. 281610 — Hydroxide and peroxide of magnesium2817Zinc; oxide and peroxidee.g. 281700 — Zinc; oxide and peroxide2818Aluminium oxide (including artificial corundum); aluminium hydroxide281810 to 281830e.g. 281810 — Aluminium oxide; artificial corundum2819Chromium oxides and hydroxides281910 to 281990e.g. 281910 — Chromium trioxide2820Manganese oxides282010 to 282090e.g. 282010 — Manganese dioxide2821Iron oxides and hydroxides; earth colours containing 70% or more by weight of combined iron evaluated as fe2o3282110 to 282120e.g. 282110 — Iron oxides and hydroxides2822Cobalt oxides and hydroxides; commercial cobalt oxidese.g. 282200 — Cobalt oxides and hydroxides; commercial cobalt oxides2823Titanium oxidese.g. 282300 — Titanium oxides2824Lead oxides; red lead and orange lead282410 to 282490e.g. 282410 — Lead; lead monoxide (litharge, massicot)2825Hydrazine and hydroxylamine and their inorganic salts; other inorganic bases; other metal oxides, hydroxides and peroxides282510 to 282590e.g. 282510 — Hydrazine and hydroxylamine and their inorganic salts2826Fluorides; fluorosilicates, fluoroaluminates and other complex fluorine salts282612 to 282690e.g. 282612 — Fluorides; of aluminium2827Chlorides; chloride oxides and chloride hydroxides; bromides and bromide oxides; iodides and iodide oxides282710 to 282760e.g. 282710 — Chlorides; of ammonium2828Hypochlorites; commercial calcium hypochlorite; chlorites; hypobromites282810 to 282890e.g. 282810 — Hypochlorites; commercial calcium hypochlorite and other calcium hypochlorites2829Chlorates and perchlorates; bromates and perbromates; iodates and periodates282911 to 282990e.g. 282911 — Chlorates; of sodium2830Sulphides; polysulphides whether or not chemically defined283010 to 283090e.g. 283010 — Sulphides; of sodium, whether or not chemically defined2831Dithionites and sulphoxylates283110 to 283190e.g. 283110 — Dithionites and sulphoxylates; of sodium2832Sulphites; thiosulphates283210 to 283230e.g. 283210 — Sulphites; of sodium2833Sulphates; alums; peroxosulphates (persulphates)283311 to 283340e.g. 283311 — Sodium sulphates; disodium sulphate2834Nitrites; nitrates283410 to 283429e.g. 283410 — Nitrites2835Phosphinates (hypophosphites), phosphonates (phosphites), and phosphates; and polyphosphates, whether or not chemically defined283510 to 283539e.g. 283510 — Phosphinates (hypophosphites) and phosphonates (phosphites), whether or not chemically defined2836Carbonates; peroxocarbonates (percarbonates); commercial ammonium carbonate containing ammonium carbamate283620 to 283699e.g. 283620 — Carbonates; disodium carbonate2837Cyanides, cyanide oxides and complex cyanides283711 to 283720e.g. 283711 — Cyanides and cyanide oxides; of sodium2839Silicates; commercial alkali metal silicates283911 to 283990e.g. 283911 — Silicates; sodium metasilicates2840Borates; peroxoborates (perborates)284011 to 284030e.g. 284011 — Borates; disodium tetraborate (refined borax), anhydrous2841Salts of oxometallic or peroxometallic acids284130 to 284190e.g. 284130 — Salts; sodium dichromate2842Salts of inorganic acids or peroxoacids, n.e.c. including aluminosilicates whether or not chemically defined, but excluding azides284210 to 284290e.g. 284210 — Salts of inorganic acids or peroxoacids, double or complex silicates, including aluminosilicates, whether or not chemically defined, excluding azides2843Colloidal precious metals; inorganic or organic compounds of precious metals, whether or not chemically defined; amalgams of precious metals284310 to 284390e.g. 284310 — Colloidal precious metals; whether or not chemically defined2844Radioactive chemical elements and radioactive isotopes (including the fissile or fertile chemical elements and isotopes); and their compounds; mixtures and residues containing these products284410 to 284450e.g. 284410 — Uranium; natural uranium and its compounds, alloys, dispersions (including cermets), ceramic products and mixtures containing natural uranium or natural uranium compounds2845Isotopes other than those of heading no. 2844; compounds, inorganic or organic, of such isotopes, whether or not chemically defined284510 to 284590e.g. 284510 — Heavy water (deuterium oxide)2846Compounds, inorganic or organic, of rare-earth metals; of yttrium or of scandium or of mixtures of these metals284610 to 284690e.g. 284610 — Cerium compounds2847Hydrogen peroxide; whether or not solidified with ureae.g. 284700 — Hydrogen peroxide; whether or not solidified with urea2849Carbides, whether or not chemically defined284910 to 284990e.g. 284910 — Carbides; of calcium, whether or not chemically defined2850Hydrides, nitrides, azides, silicides and borides, whether or not chemically defined, other than compounds which are also carbides of heading no. 2849e.g. 285000 — Hydrides, nitrides, azides, silicides and borides, whether or not chemically defined, other than compounds which are also carbides of heading no. 28492852Inorganic or organic compounds of mercury, excluding amalgams, whether or not chemically defined285210 to 285290e.g. 285210 — Inorganic or organic compounds of mercury, excluding amalgams, chemically defined2853Phosphides, chemically defined or not, not ferrophosphorus; other inorganic compounds n.e.c. (including distilled, conductivity water and water of like purity); liquid air, rare gases removed or not; compressed air; amalgams, not precious metal amalgams285310 to 285390e.g. 285310 — Inorganic compounds; cyanogen chloride (chlorcyan)
Chapter 27All chaptersChapter 29

HS code 28 inorganic chemicals by family

The headings run in a rough order, from simple elements to complex salts. Grouping them makes the list easier to scan. Each family below links to the heading pages, where every code is listed.

Start with the product name you trade. Then find its family and open the matching heading.

  • Elements (2801 to 2805): halogens such as chlorine (280110), sulphur, carbon blacks, hydrogen, rare gases, silicon, alkali metals, rare earth metals (280530) and mercury.
  • Inorganic acids and non-metal compounds (2806 to 2813): hydrochloric, sulphuric, nitric and phosphoric acid, plus carbon dioxide (281121), halides and sulphides of non-metals.
  • Bases and metal oxides (2814 to 2825): ammonia, caustic soda (281511 solid, 281512 in solution), caustic potash, and oxides of aluminium, zinc, iron, titanium, lithium and others.
  • Metal salts (2826 to 2842): fluorides, chlorides, hypochlorites, sulphates, nitrates, phosphates, carbonates, silicates and borates. Lithium carbonate is 283691 and potassium permanganate is 284161.
  • Precious metal, radioactive and rare-earth compounds (2843 to 2846): silver and gold compounds, uranium and other radioactive elements, heavy water, and cerium compounds (284610).
  • Other inorganic compounds (2847 to 2853): hydrogen peroxide (284700), carbides, hydrides and nitrides, mercury compounds, and a catch-all heading for inorganic compounds not named elsewhere.

How to pick the right chapter 28 code

Ask first whether the chemical is inorganic. Most carbon-based chemicals belong in Chapter 29, organic chemicals. Chapter 28 keeps a few simple carbon items, such as carbon dioxide, carbides and carbon blacks.

Next, check the use. Fertilizers have their own chapter, Chapter 31. Dyes and pigments go to Chapter 32. A zinc oxide or an iron oxide can sit in Chapter 28 or move to Chapter 32 when it is sold as a colouring product, so check the heading text before you decide.

Watch the words 'n.e.c.', which means not elsewhere classified. Headings 2842 and 2853 collect items that no other heading names. Use them last, only after you have ruled out every named heading.

If you are still unsure, the HS code classifier can narrow the choice. Confirm the final code against the heading page before you file.

Related chemical chapters in the same section

Chapter 28 sits next to other chemical chapters. Pharmaceutical products are in Chapter 30. Perfumery and cosmetics are in Chapter 33. Explosives and matches are in Chapter 36. The full list of chapters is on the main HS codes page.

HS code 28 import and export data

A code tells you what a product is. Trade records tell you who moves it.

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. Use a code from this page, such as chlorine or caustic soda, and look at the live records for it.

Related

Other chapters in Section VI

Products of the Chemical or Allied Industries covers chapters 28–38.

These codes carry real shipments.

EximDataX shows the live import–export records filed under Chapter 28: named buyers, suppliers, quantities and values from official customs feeds.

See live data for Chapter 28
Straight answers

HS Chapter 28: common questions

What is HS code 28?

It is the group of customs codes for goods such as chlorine, common acids, uranium and rare earth compounds. Use it for substances that are not carbon-based organic chemicals.

What is the HS code for caustic soda (sodium hydroxide)?

Solid caustic soda is 281511. Caustic soda in water solution, also called soda lye, is 281512. Both sit in heading 2815.

What is the HS code for hydrogen peroxide?

Hydrogen peroxide is 284700. It has its own heading, 2847, and the code applies whether or not it is solidified with urea.

What is the HS code for lithium carbonate?

Lithium carbonate is 283691 in heading 2836. Lithium oxide and hydroxide are separate and use 282520.

What is the difference between HS chapter 28 and chapter 29?

Chapter 28 is the inorganic side and Chapter 29 is the organic side. Check the molecule first, then read the heading text.

Which HS heading covers rare earth metals?

Rare earth metals, scandium and yttrium are in 280530, under heading 2805. Compounds of rare earths are in heading 2846, and cerium compounds are 284610.

Where can I find HS code 28 import and export data?

Take the code from this page and use it on the import data and export data pages of EximDataX. For buyer and supplier names, see the buyer data and supplier data pages.

See what your buyers are buying.Then decide.

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