Chapter 28: Inorganic chemicals; organic or inorganic compounds of precious metals, of rare-earth metals, of radioactive elements or of isotopes

Section VI — Products of the chemical or allied industries

49 headings · 280 total HS codes

Classification Notes for Chapter 28
Notes 1. Except where the context otherwise requires, the headings of this Chapter apply only to: a. Separate chemical elements and separate chemically defined compounds, whether or not containing impurities; b. The products mentioned in (a) above dissolved in water; c. The products mentioned in (a) above dissolved in other solvents provided that the solution constitutes a normal and necessary method of putting up these products adopted solely for reasons of safety or for transport and that the solvent does not render the product particularly suitable for specific use rather than for general use; d. The products mentioned in (a), (b) or (c) above with an added stabiliser (including an anti-caking agent) necessary for their preservation or transport; e. The products mentioned in (a), (b), (c) or (d) above with an added anti-dusting agent or a colouring substance added to facilitate their identification or for safety reasons, provided that the additions do not render the product particularly suitable for specific use rather than for general use. 2. In addition to dithionites and sulphoxylates, stabilised with organic substances (2831), carbonates and peroxocarbonates of inorganic bases (2836), cyanides, cyanide oxides and complex cyanides of inorganic bases (2837), fulminates, cyanates and thiocyanates, of inorganic bases (2842), organic products included in 2843 to 2846 and 2852 and carbides (2849), only the following compounds of carbon are to be classified in this Chapter: a. Oxides of carbon, hydrogen cyanide and fulminic, isocyanic, thiocyanic and other simple or complex cyanogen acids (2811); b. Halide oxides of carbon (2812); c. Carbon disulphide (2813); d. Thiocarbonates, selenocarbonates, tellurocarbonates, selenocyanates, tellurocyanates, tetrathiocyanatodiamminochromates (reineckates) and other complex cyanates, of inorganic bases (2842); e. Hydrogen peroxide, solidified with urea (2847.00.00), carbon oxysulphide, thiocarbonyl halides, cyanogen, cyanogen halides and cyanamide and its metal derivatives (2853) other than calcium cyanamide, whether or not pure (Chapter 31). 3. Subject to the provisions of Note 1 to Section VI, this Chapter does not cover: a. Sodium chloride or magnesium oxide, whether or not pure, or other products of Section V; b. Organo-inorganic compounds other than those mentioned in Note 2 above; c. Products mentioned in Note 2, 3, 4 or 5 to Chapter 31; d. Inorganic products of a kind used as luminophores, of 3206; glass frit and other glass in the form of powder, granules or flakes, of 3207; e. Artificial graphite (3801); products put up as charges for fire-extinguishers or put up in fire-extinguishing grenades, of 3813.00.00; ink removers put up in packings for retail sale, of 3824; cultured crystals (other than optical elements) weighing not less than 2.5 g each, of the halides of the alkali or alkaline-earth metals, of 3824; f. Precious or semi-precious stones (natural, synthetic or reconstructed) or dust or powder of such stones (7102 to 7105), or precious metals or precious metal alloys of Chapter 71; g. The metals, whether or not pure, metal alloys or cermets, including sintered metal carbides (metal carbides sintered with a metal), of Section XV; or h. Optical elements, for example, of the halides of the alkali or alkaline-earth metals (9001). 4. Chemically defined complex acids consisting of a non-metal acid of sub-Chapter II and a metal acid of sub-Chapter IV are to be classified in 2811. 5. 2826 to 2842 apply only to metal or ammonium salts or peroxysalts.Except where the context otherwise requires, double or complex salts are to be classified in 2842. 6. 2844 applies only to: a. Technetium (atomic No. 43), promethium (atomic No. 61), polonium (atomic No. 84) and all elements with an atomic number greater than 84; b. Natural or artificial radioactive isotopes (including those of the precious metals or of the base metals of Sections XIV and XV), whether or not mixed together; c. Compounds, inorganic or organic, of these elements or isotopes, whether or not chemically defined, whether or not mixed together; d. Alloys, dispersions (including cermets), ceramic products and mixtures containing these elements or isotopes or inorganic or organic compounds thereof and having a specific radioactivity exceeding 74 Bq/g (0.002 microcurie/g); e. Spent (irradiated) fuel elements (cartridges) of nuclear reactors; f. Radioactive residues whether or not usable. g. - individual nuclides, excluding, however, those existing in nature in the monoisotopic state; h. - mixtures of isotopes of one and the same element, enriched in one or several of the said isotopes, that is, elements of which the natural isotopic composition has been artificially modified. 7. 2853 includes copper phosphide (phosphor copper) containing more than 15% by weight of phosphorus. 8. Chemical elements (for example, silicon and selenium) doped for use in electronics are to be classified in this Chapter, provided that they are in forms unworked as drawn, or in the form of cylinders or rods. When cut in the form of discs, wafers or similar forms, they fall in 3818.00.00. Subheading Note 1. For the purposes of 2852.10, “chemically defined” means all organic or inorganic compounds of mercury meeting the requirements of paragraph (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e) of Note 1 to this Chapter or paragraph (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g) or (h) of Note 1 to Chapter 29. Additional Note 1. Notwithstanding Note 1 to this Chapter, the following products are classified in this Chapter even when they are not separate chemical elements nor separate chemically defined compounds: a. Colloidal sulphur (2802.00.00); b. Carbon blacks (2803.00.00); c. Oleum (2807.00.00); d. Sulphonitric acids (2808.00.00); e. Polyphosphoric acids (2809); f. Phosphorus trisulphide (2813); g. Earth colours containing 70% or more by weight of combined iron evaluated as Fe2O3 (2821); h. Commercial cobalt oxides (2822.00.00); i. ij. Red lead and orange lead (2824); j. Commercial calcium hypochlorite (2828); k. Polysulphides (2830 or 2852); l. Dithionites and sulphoxylates, stabilised with organic substances (2831); m. Polyphosphates (2835 or 2852); n. Commercial ammonium carbonate containing ammonium carbamate (2836); o. Commercial alkali metal silicates (2839); p. Colloidal precious metals and amalgams of precious metals (2843); q. Radioactive elements, radioactive isotopes, or compounds (inorganic or organic) and mixtures containing these substances (2844); r. Other isotopes (2845); s. Compounds, inorganic or organic, of rare-earth metals, of yttrium or of scandium or of mixtures of these metals (2846); t. Liquid air and compressed air, amalgams other than amalgams of precious metals (2853).
HeadingDescriptionGeneral RateSub-codesFTAs
2801Fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine0%315 FTAs
2802Sulphur, sublimed or precipitated; colloidal sulphur0%114 FTAs
2803Carbon (carbon blacks and other forms of carbon not elsewhere specified or included)0%115 FTAs
2804Hydrogen, rare gases and other non-metals0%1315 FTAs
2805Alkali or alkaline-earth metals; rare-earth metals, scandium and yttrium, whether or not intermixed or interalloyed; mercury0%616 FTAs
2806Hydrogen chloride (hydrochloric acid); chlorosulphuric acid0%216 FTAs
2807Sulphuric acid; oleum0%114 FTAs
2808Nitric acid; sulphonitric acids0%115 FTAs
2809Diphosphorus pentaoxide; phosphoric acid; polyphosphoric acids, whether or not chemically defined0%414 FTAs
2810Oxides of boron; boric acids0%116 FTAs
2811Other inorganic acids and other inorganic oxygen compounds of non-metals0%814 FTAs
2812Halides and halide oxides of non-metals0%1117 FTAs
2813Sulphides of non-metals; commercial phosphorus trisulphide0%417 FTAs
2814Ammonia, anhydrous or in aqueous solution0%213 FTAs
2815Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda); potassium hydroxide (caustic potash); peroxides of sodium or potassium0%515 FTAs
2816Hydroxide and peroxide of magnesium; oxides, hydroxides and peroxides, of strontium or barium0%217 FTAs
2817Zinc oxide; zinc peroxide0%115 FTAs
2818Artificial corundum, whether or not chemically defined; aluminium oxide; aluminium hydroxide0%516 FTAs
2819Chromium oxides and hydroxides0%214 FTAs
2820Manganese oxides0%215 FTAs
2821IRON OXIDES AND HYDROXIDES; EARTH COLOURS CONTAINING 70% OR MORE BY WEIGHT OF COMBINED IRON EVALUATED AS Fe2O30%615 FTAs
2822Cobalt oxides and hydroxides; commercial cobalt oxides0%115 FTAs
2823Titanium oxides0%116 FTAs
2824Lead oxides; red lead and orange lead0%216 FTAs
2825Hydrazine and hydroxylamine and their inorganic salts; other inorganic bases; other metal oxides, hydroxides and peroxides0%917 FTAs
2826Fluorides; fluorosilicates, fluoroaluminates and other complex fluorine salts0%1216 FTAs
2827Chlorides, chloride oxides and chloride hydroxides; bromides and bromide oxides; iodides and iodide oxides0%1417 FTAs
2828Hypochlorites; commercial calcium hypochlorite; chlorites; hypobromites0%216 FTAs
2829Chlorates and perchlorates; bromates and perbromates; iodates and periodates0%416 FTAs
2830Sulphides; polysulphides, whether or not chemically defined0%417 FTAs
2831Dithionites and sulphoxylates0%217 FTAs
2832Sulphites; thiosulphates0%316 FTAs
2833Sulphates; alums; peroxosulphates (persulphates)0%1414 FTAs
2834Nitrites; nitrates0%415 FTAs
2835Phosphinates (hypophosphites), phosphonates (phosphites) and phosphates; polyphosphates, whether or not chemically defined0%1215 FTAs
2836Carbonates; peroxocarbonates (percarbonates); commercial ammonium carbonate containing ammonium carbamate0%916 FTAs
2837Cyanides, cyanide oxides and complex cyanides0%815 FTAs
2839Silicates; commercial alkali metal silicates0%415 FTAs
2840Borates; peroxoborates (perborates)0%516 FTAs
2841Salts of oxometallic or peroxometallic acids0%1217 FTAs
2842Other salts of inorganic acids or peroxoacids (including aluminosilicates whether or not chemically defined), other than azides0%416 FTAs
2843Colloidal precious metals; inorganic or organic compounds of precious metals, whether or not chemically defined; amalgams of precious metals0%615 FTAs
2844Radioactive chemical elements and radioactive isotopes (including the fissile or fertile chemical elements and isotopes) and their compounds; mixtures and residues containing these products0%916 FTAs
2845Isotopes other than those of 28.44; compounds, inorganic or organic, of such isotopes, whether or not chemically defined0%517 FTAs
2846Compounds, inorganic or organic, of rare-earth metals, of yttrium or of scandium or of mixtures of these metals0%217 FTAs
2847Hydrogen peroxide, whether or not solidified with urea5%114 FTAs
2849Carbides, whether or not chemically defined0%317 FTAs
2850Hydrides, nitrides, azides, silicides and borides, whether or not chemically defined, other than compounds which are also carbides of 28490%115 FTAs
2852Inorganic or organic compounds of mercury, whether or not chemically defined, excluding amalgams0%717 FTAs

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the import duty on inorganic chemicals; organic or inorganic compounds of precious metals, of rare-earth metals, of radioactive elements or of isotopes in Australia?

Chapter 28 of the Australian Tariff covers inorganic chemicals; organic or inorganic compounds of precious metals, of rare-earth metals, of radioactive elements or of isotopes. Duty rates vary by product — there are 49 headings in this chapter. Use the table below to find specific rates, or try our free calculator for an instant estimate.

Are there FTA concessions for Chapter 28 goods?

Yes, Australia has 17 Free Trade Agreements that may reduce duty on Chapter 28 products. Click on any heading below to see which FTAs offer preferential rates.

Need the exact duty for your shipment?

Calculate Import Duty