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HS 29 & 39Chemicals

HS Code for Petrochemicals (Chapter 29 & 39)

Base petrochemicals - ethylene, propylene, aromatics, methanol - are the feedstock chain between refineries and plastics. Most sit in Chapter 29 as organic chemicals; downstream polymers (PE, PP, PET, PVC) move to Chapter 39.

Reviewed against WCO HS · WTO IDB · National customs schedules5 authoritative sourcesLast reviewed July 2026

Sample 6-digit codes

CodeDescription
2901.21Ethylene
2901.22Propene (propylene)
2902.20Benzene
2902.30Toluene
2902.43p-Xylene (PX)
2902.50Styrene
2905.11Methanol (methyl alcohol)
2905.31Ethylene glycol (MEG)
2917.36Purified terephthalic acid (PTA)
Need to check a specific code? Use the free HS code lookup tool.

Typical import duty by market

MarketDuty
United States (MFN)
0% - 6.5%
European Union
0% - 6.5%
REACH registration required over 1 MT/year.
India (BCD)
2.5% - 7.5%
AD duties on styrene, MEG, PTA from specific origins.
China
1% - 2%
13% VAT on import value.
UAE
0%
Zero on most petrochemical feedstocks for local plants.

Worked landed-cost example

6,000 MT methanol (HS 2905.11), CIF Kandla USD 2.4 M - Saudi origin

Assessable valueUSD 2,400,000
BCD @ 5%USD 120,000
SWS @ 10% of BCDUSD 12,000
IGST @ 18% on (AV + BCD + SWS)USD 456,160
Landed cost ≈ USD 2.99 M plus port/handling and demurrage risk on 6-day laycan.
Run your own numbers in the import duty & tax calculator.
Regulatory checkpoints
  • · REACH pre-registration for EU import > 1 MT/year.
  • · Dual-use export controls: some solvents on EU 2021/821 Annex I, US EAR ECCN 1C350.
  • · ADR/IMDG UN 1114 (benzene), UN 1230 (methanol), UN 2055 (styrene).
  • · Anti-dumping investigations - India DGTR, US ITC, EU Commission - are frequent on MEG, PTA, styrene.
Top exporting countries
  • · United States
  • · Saudi Arabia
  • · South Korea
  • · Iran
  • · Singapore
  • · Netherlands
  • · China
  • · UAE

Frequently asked questions

When does a petrochemical move from Chapter 29 to Chapter 39?

Chapter 29 covers monomers and defined organic chemicals. Once polymerised (PE, PP, PVC, PET), the product moves to Chapter 39 (plastics in primary forms). PTA remains in Chapter 29 even though it feeds PET production.

How do anti-dumping duties reshape the landed cost?

AD duties are stacked on top of MFN duty and are origin-specific. On MEG or PTA from named origins, they can add 10-40% and completely change the sourcing decision.

Destination market toolkits

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

Import into India →
IGST on imports · 5% / 12% / 18% / 28%
Import into United Arab Emirates →
VAT · 5% standard
Import into Singapore →
GST · 9% standard (from 2024)
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

Chemicals landed-cost pages: every destination market

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

Related commodity guides

HS 39Chemicals
HS Code for Plastics & Polymers (Chapter 39) →
HS 2814Chemicals
HS Code for Ammonia (HS 2814) →
HS 2804.10Chemicals
HS Code for Hydrogen (HS 2804.10) →
HS 3102.10Chemicals
HS Code for Granular Urea 46% N (HS 3102.10) →

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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