HS Code 2916Acids; unsaturated acyclic monocarboxylic, cyclic monocarboxylic, their anhydrides, halides, peroxides and peroxyacids; their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives
12 six-digit codes · Heading 16 of 42 in Chapter 29 · World Customs Organization Harmonized System
HS code 2916 covers acids that carry a single carboxyl group and have either an unsaturated chain or a ring. Think acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, oleic acid and benzoic acid.
Heading 2916 is finely cut: 12 six-digit codes, 291611 to 291639, all of them under “Acids; unsaturated acyclic monocarboxylic, cyclic monocarboxylic, their anhydrides, halides, peroxides and peroxyacids; their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives”. At that depth it is the exact wording of the code, not of the heading, that settles a classification. The heading is number 16 of 42 in Chapter 29, Organic chemicals, which runs to 410 six-digit codes in all.
Six-digit codes under heading 2916
| HS Code | Import–export description |
|---|---|
| 291611 | Acids; unsaturated acyclic monocarboxylic acids; acrylic acid and its salts |
| 291612 | Acids; unsaturated acyclic monocarboxylic acids; esters of acrylic acid |
| 291613 | Acids; unsaturated acyclic monocarboxylic acids; methacrylic acid and its salts |
| 291614 | Acids; unsaturated acyclic monocarboxylic acids; esters of methacrylic acid |
| 291615 | Acids; unsaturated acyclic monocarboxylic acids; oleic, linoleic or linolenic acids, their salts and esters |
| 291616 | Acids; unsaturated acyclic monocarboxylic, cyclic monocarboxylic, their anhydrides, halides, peroxides and peroxyacids; their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives, binapacryl (iso) |
| 291619 | Acids; unsaturated acyclic monocarboxylic, cyclic monocarboxylic, their anhydrides, halides, peroxides and peroxyacids; their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives, n.e.c. in item no. 2916.1 |
| 291620 | Acids; cyclanic, cyclenic or cycloterpenic monocarboxylic acids, their anhydrides, halides, peroxides, peroxyacids and their derivatives |
| 291631 | Acids; aromatic monocarboxylic acids, benzoic acid, its salts and esters |
| 291632 | Acids; aromatic monocarboxylic acids, benzoyl peroxide and benzoyl chloride |
| 291634 | Acids; aromatic monocarboxylic acids, phenylacetic acid and its salts |
| 291639 | Acids; aromatic monocarboxylic acids, and their anhydrides, halides, peroxides, peroxyacids and their derivatives, other than benzoic acid, its salts and esters, benzoyl peroxide and benzoyl chloride, phenylacetic acid and its salts |
What HS code 2916 covers
The long official wording is hard to read, so here is the short version. A carboxylic acid has an acid group built from carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. A monocarboxylic acid has just one of them. This heading holds the ones whose carbon skeleton is unsaturated and open, or built around a ring.
Unsaturated means the carbon chain has at least one double bond. Acyclic means the chain has no ring. Cyclic means a ring is present. Aromatic acids, such as benzoic acid, have a benzene ring. The heading also takes in the anhydrides, halides, peroxides and peroxyacids of these acids, plus their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated forms.
If you search for HSN code 2916, you land on the same heading. HSN is the name many traders use for the same Harmonized System number. Countries add extra digits after the first six, so your national tariff line may be longer than the codes shown here.
Acrylic acid HS code and other product lookups
Most people search by product name, not by legal text. This list maps common names to the six-digit code.
- Acrylic acid and its salts: 291611
- Esters of acrylic acid: 291612
- Methacrylic acid and its salts: 291613
- Esters of methacrylic acid: 291614
- Oleic, linoleic or linolenic acids, their salts and esters: 291615
- Binapacryl (ISO): 291616
- Benzoic acid, its salts and esters: 291631
- Benzoyl peroxide and benzoyl chloride: 291632
- Phenylacetic acid and its salts: 291634
Subheadings under HSN heading 2916: how to choose
Work from the shape of the molecule. First ask if the acid has a ring. If it does not, and the chain is unsaturated, you are in the group from 291611 to 291619. If the ring is not aromatic, look at 291620, which is for cyclanic, cyclenic or cycloterpenic acids. If the ring is aromatic, look at 291631 to 291639.
Next, check whether the product is a salt, an ester or the free acid. Several codes split this way, so the form of the product matters as much as the acid itself. An acrylate ester and the free acid sit in different codes.
Use the catch-all codes last. Code 291619 is for unsaturated acyclic products that no named code in that group fits. If a named code fits, it wins over a catch-all.
If you are unsure, run the product description through the HS code classifier before you file.
Difference between HS 2915 and 2916
The nearest headings are all acids, so mix-ups are common. Heading 2915 is for saturated acyclic monocarboxylic acids, where the chain has no double bond.
Heading 2917 is for polycarboxylic acids. Those have more than one acid group, which is the main thing that sets them apart. Heading 2918 is for carboxylic acids with an extra oxygen function, such as a second oxygen-bearing group on the molecule.
A quick test: count the acid groups, then check for a double bond, a ring and any extra oxygen group. That sorts most products into 2915, 2916, 2917 or 2918.
Who imports and exports under HS 2916
Once you know the code, you can look at the trade behind 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.
Related
- Chapter 29 organic chemicals
- HS 2915 saturated acyclic monocarboxylic acids
- HS 2917 polycarboxylic acids
- HS 2918 carboxylic acids with additional oxygen function
- HS 2914 ketones and quinones
- All HS code chapters
- HS 2916 import data
- HS 2916 export data
- Buyers of monocarboxylic acids
- Suppliers of monocarboxylic acids
- HS code classifier
- Book a free demo
Nearby headings in Chapter 29
- 2910Epoxides, epoxyalcohols, epoxyphenols and epoxyethers; with a three-membered…6 codes
- 2911Acetals and hemiacetals; whether or not with other oxygen function, and their…1 code
- 2912Aldehydes, whether or not with other oxygen function; cyclic polymers of…10 codes
- 2913Aldehydes; halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives of…1 code
- 2914Ketones and quinones; whether or not with other oxygen function, and their…16 codes
- 2915Acids; saturated acyclic monocarboxylic acids and their anhydrides, halides…16 codes
- 2917Acids; polycarboxylic acids, their anhydrides, halides, peroxides and…13 codes
- 2918Acids; carboxylic acid with additional oxygen function and their anhydrides…16 codes
- 2919Esters; phosphoric, and their salts, including lactophosphates, their…2 codes
- 2920Esters of other inorganic acids of non-metals (other than of hydrogen…9 codes
- 2921Amine-function compounds18 codes
- 2922Oxygen-function amino-compounds18 codes
Who ships under 2916?
EximDataX tracks the live import–export records filed under this heading and the 12 codes beneath it: named buyers, suppliers, quantities and values from official customs feeds.
Section VI: Products of the Chemical or Allied Industries, chapters 28–38.
HS Code 2916: common questions
What does HS code 2916 cover?
It is the group for acids with one acid group that are either unsaturated and open-chained or ring-shaped. Acrylic, oleic and benzoic acid are typical examples.
What is the HS code for acrylic acid?
Use 291611 when you ship the free acid or its salts. If the goods are acrylate esters, switch to 291612.
What is the HS code for methacrylic acid?
Treat it like acrylic acid, but with the methacrylic lines.
What is the HS code for benzoic acid?
It is the first of the aromatic lines.
Which HS code covers benzoyl peroxide and benzoyl chloride?
They share one line, 291632. Phenylacetic acid is not in it, because that has its own line, 291634.
What is the difference between HS 2915 and 2916?
Look for a double bond or a ring. A plain open chain with no double bond belongs in 2915, while a double bond or a ring points to 2916.
Which code do I use if my acid is not named in HSN code 2916?
Pick 291619 for an unsaturated open-chain product that no named code fits. Pick 291639 for an aromatic product left over after the named aromatic codes.
See what your buyers are buying.Then decide.
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