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HS 2530.90Metals

HS Code for Spodumene Concentrate (HS 2530.90)

Spodumene (LiAlSi2O6) is the dominant hard-rock lithium mineral. Concentrated to SC6 (6% Li2O) at mine, shipped to China, Korea, and increasingly US/EU/Australia for chemical conversion to Li carbonate or Li hydroxide. ~55% of global Li supply comes via spodumene (vs brine).

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

Sample 6-digit codes

CodeDescription
2530.90Mineral substances, not elsewhere classified (spodumene concentrate)
2825.20Lithium oxide/hydroxide
2836.91Lithium carbonate
Need to check a specific code? Use the free HS code lookup tool.

Typical import duty by market

MarketDuty
European Union
0%
CRM strategic; concentrate imports zero-rated.
United States
0%
IRA supply-chain content credit requires FTA sourcing.
China
0%
Removed 13% VAT rebate on Li carbonate exports 2024 - upstream.

Worked landed-cost example

10,000 MT SC6 spodumene, FOB Port Hedland USD 850/MT (2025 pricing), CIF Ningbo

FOBUSD 8,500,000
Freight + insuranceUSD 350,000
CIFUSD 8,850,000
China dutyUSD 0
China landed USD 8.85m. Note SC6 price collapsed from USD 8,000/MT (Nov 2022) to USD 700-900/MT (2024-25) - a 90% drawdown that has forced high-cost mines (Zimbabwe, Brazil junior) into care & maintenance.
Run your own numbers in the import duty & tax calculator.
Regulatory checkpoints
  • · EU CRM Act 2024/1252 - strategic.
  • · US IRA 30D battery critical minerals - FTA-sourced spodumene qualifies from Australia/Chile.
Top exporting countries
  • · Australia (Greenbushes, Pilgangoora, Mt Marion)
  • · Brazil (Sigma Lithium)
  • · Zimbabwe
  • · Portugal

Frequently asked questions

SC6 to LCE conversion factor?

1 MT SC6 (6% Li2O) yields ~0.128 MT Li2CO3 (LCE, 40% conversion efficiency at 6%). So 8 MT SC6 => 1 MT LCE. If LCE = USD 12,000/MT and SC6 = USD 850/MT, the implied conversion margin is USD 12,000 - (8 x 850) - USD 2,500 conversion cost = USD 2,700/MT LCE.

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 Brazil →
ICMS (state) + PIS/COFINS (federal) · ICMS 17-19% (varies by state); PIS 2.1%; COFINS 9.65%
Import into Australia →
GST · 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.

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HS 76Metals
HS Code for Aluminium (Chapter 76) →

Related tools

HS Code Lookup →
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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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