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HS 2601.12Metals

HS Code for Iron Ore Pellets (HS 2601.12)

Pellets are agglomerated iron ore fines around 12mm diameter, fired to give strength for blast-furnace burden or DRI shaft-furnace charge. DR-grade pellets (>=67% Fe, <2% silica) command a USD 30-60/MT premium and are central to green-steel roadmaps.

Reviewed against WCO HS · WTO IDB · National customs schedules4 authoritative sourcesLast reviewed July 2026

Sample 6-digit codes

CodeDescription
2601.12Agglomerated iron ores and concentrates, other than roasted iron pyrites
2601.11Non-agglomerated (fines and lump)
Need to check a specific code? Use the free HS code lookup tool.

Typical import duty by market

MarketDuty
European Union
0%
China
0%
Plus 13% VAT.
Japan
0%
United States
0%

Worked landed-cost example

170,000 MT DR-grade pellets, FOB Ponta da Madeira USD 145/MT, CFR Sohar

FOBUSD 24,650,000
Freight (Cape)USD 2,100,000
CFRUSD 26,750,000
DutyUSD 0
Landed ≈ USD 26.75m; ~USD 157/MT delivered to Oman HBI/DRI plants.
Run your own numbers in the import duty & tax calculator.
Regulatory checkpoints
  • · IMSBC Code Group C for iron ore pellets (non-hazardous, low moisture, low liquefaction risk vs Group A fines).
  • · Not CBAM-covered directly, but drives CBAM outcomes for downstream steel importers.
Top exporting countries
  • · Brazil (Vale)
  • · Sweden (LKAB)
  • · Canada
  • · Russia (sanctioned into OECD)
  • · Ukraine
  • · India

Frequently asked questions

Pellet premium indices?

Platts IODEX 65% Fe CFR China is the base; pellet premium (Platts Atlantic BF pellet premium, DR-grade premium) is added on top. DR-grade premiums spiked to USD 80+/MT in 2022 on tight Ukrainian supply.

Destination market toolkits

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

Import into India →
IGST on imports · 5% / 12% / 18% / 28%
Import into China →
Import VAT · 13% standard, 9% reduced, 6% services
Import into United States →
No federal VAT / GST · 0% federal
Import into United Kingdom →
VAT · 20% standard, 5% reduced, 0% zero-rated
Import into Germany →
VAT (Umsatzsteuer / Einfuhrumsatzsteuer) · 19% standard, 7% reduced
Import into Japan →
Consumption Tax (JCT) · 10% standard / 8% reduced (food, newspapers)

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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