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HS 8549.13Metals

HS Code for Battery Black Mass (HS 8549.13)

Black mass is the powdered cathode/anode residue after Li-ion battery shredding - the highest-value output of battery recycling. WCO added 8549.11-8549.19 in HS 2022. From 1 January 2025 the EU treats black mass as hazardous waste (Basel entry A1181), effectively banning exports to non-OECD destinations under the Waste Shipment Regulation 2024/1157.

Reviewed against WCO HS · WTO IDB · National customs schedules3 authoritative sourcesLast reviewed July 2026

Sample 6-digit codes

CodeDescription
8549.11Spent primary cells, batteries and accumulators containing lead
8549.12Other spent, containing mercury/cadmium
8549.13Other spent, sorted by chemistry (Li-ion, NiMH) - includes black mass
8549.14Other spent, unsorted
Need to check a specific code? Use the free HS code lookup tool.

Typical import duty by market

MarketDuty
European Union
0%
MFN zero; export ban to non-OECD from 2025.
United States
0%
South Korea
0%
Major hydrometallurgical processing hub.
China
0%
Import subject to environmental licence (MEE).

Worked landed-cost example

25 MT NMC black mass (Ni 18%, Co 5%, Li 3.5%), FOB Rotterdam USD 4,200/MT, CIF Busan

FOBUSD 105,000
Freight + insuranceUSD 6,800
CIFUSD 111,800
Korea dutyUSD 0
Basel notification & consent cost≈ USD 3,000
Korea landed USD 114,800 - value is in metal recovery, not the trade transaction.
Run your own numbers in the import duty & tax calculator.
Regulatory checkpoints
  • · Basel Convention A1181 (2019 amendment).
  • · EU Regulation 2024/1157 on Waste Shipments - non-OECD export ban.
  • · EU Battery Regulation 2023/1542 - recycled content minimums from 2031.
Top exporting countries
  • · Germany
  • · Poland
  • · Netherlands
  • · United States
  • · South Korea

Frequently asked questions

Why not just ship to China?

China imposes an import licence via MEE - only ~5 facilities are approved. Combined with EU 2025 non-OECD ban, near-term flow concentrates in Korea (POSCO Future M, LG), Japan (Sumitomo) and the US (Redwood, Li-Cycle).

Destination market toolkits

Country-specific duty, VAT/GST and Incoterms practice for the top destinations for metals.

Import into China →
Import VAT · 13% standard, 9% reduced, 6% services
Import into United States →
No federal VAT / GST · 0% federal
Import into Germany →
VAT (Umsatzsteuer / Einfuhrumsatzsteuer) · 19% standard, 7% reduced
Import into Netherlands →
BTW (VAT) · 21% standard, 9% reduced
Import into South Korea →
VAT · 10%
Import into India →
IGST on imports · 5% / 12% / 18% / 28%

Metals landed-cost pages: every destination market

Jump straight to the metals import guide for any of the destination markets we cover.

Related commodity guides

HS 72Metals
HS Code for Iron & Steel (Chapter 72) →
HS 2601Metals
HS Code for Iron Ore (HS 2601) →
HS 74Metals
HS Code for Copper (Chapter 74 & 2603) →
HS 76Metals
HS Code for Aluminium (Chapter 76) →

Related tools

HS Code Lookup →
Search harmonised codes across 21 sections.
Import Duty & Tax →
Landed cost with duty, VAT/GST and cess.
Landed Cost by HS & Country →
Duty + VAT/GST + Incoterm split for this HS.
CIF ↔ FOB Converter →
Convert customs value between Incoterms.

Sources & citations

Duty rates and regulations compiled from WCO HS, WTO integrated database, national customs authorities and published FTA schedules. Provided for decision-support only - confirm the 10-digit line and current preferential status with your licensed customs broker before acting.

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