26 Ores, slag and ash
The broadest level of the Harmonized System. Pick the heading below that fits your goods, then the six-digit code under it — that last one is what you declare.
Section V, Mineral Products — salt, sulphur, earths, stone, ores, mineral fuels and mineral oils.
- 26 Chapter Ores, slag and ash
- —— Heading Pick one of the 21 headings below
- —— Subheading Six digits, the level every country shares
Chapter 26 covers ores, slag and ash: the raw mineral concentrates mined and processed before smelting, plus the slag and ash byproducts of metal production. This is upstream of the refined metal chapters (72-81). Classification tip: Ore classification depends on the specific metal content (iron, copper, precious-metal ores each have their own subheading), so confirm assay results before filing rather than relying on a generic 'ore' description.
21 headings in chapter 26
Four-digit groups. Pick the one that fits, then the six-digit code inside it.
- 26.01 Iron ores and concentrates; including roasted iron pyrites 3 codes
- 26.02 Manganese ores and concentrates, including ferruginous manganese ores and concentrates with a manganese content of 20% or more, calculated on the dry weight 1 code
- 26.03 Copper ores and concentrates 1 code
- 26.04 Nickel ores and concentrates 1 code
- 26.05 Cobalt ores and concentrates 1 code
- 26.06 Aluminium ores and concentrates 1 code
- 26.07 Lead ores and concentrates 1 code
- 26.08 Zinc ores and concentrates 1 code
- 26.09 Tin ores and concentrates 1 code
- 26.10 Chromium ores and concentrates 1 code
- 26.11 Tungsten ores and concentrates 1 code
- 26.12 Uranium or thorium ores and concentrates 2 codes
- 26.13 Molybdenum ores and concentrates 2 codes
- 26.14 Titanium ores and concentrates 1 code
- 26.15 Niobium, tantalum, vanadium or zirconium ores and concentrates 2 codes
- 26.16 Precious metal ores and concentrates 2 codes
- 26.17 Ores and concentrates; n.e.c. in heading no. 2601 2 codes
- 26.18 Granulated slag (slag sand) from the manufacture of iron or steel 1 code
- 26.19 Slag, dross; (other than granulated slag), scalings and other waste from the manufacture of iron or steel 1 code
- 26.20 Slag, ash and residues; (not from the manufacture of iron or steel) containing metals, arsenic or their compounds 9 codes
- 26.21 Slag and ash n.e.c. in chapter 26; including seaweed ash (kelp) and ash and residues from the incineration of municipal waste 2 codes
Other chapters in Section V
The wording above is the Harmonized System nomenclature as published by the World Customs Organization, HS 2022 edition. It is a classification reference, not a tariff: it carries no duty rates, and it stops at six digits — the importing country adds its own beyond that.
Classification is decided by the General Rules of Interpretation and the section and chapter notes, and it is the importing country’s customs authority that makes it binding.
Shipping goods from chapter 26? A customs hold shows up as a milestone that stops moving — follow the container or the air waybill from departure to delivery.
Track a shipmentChapter 26 FAQ
Chapter 26 covers ores, slag and ash: the raw mineral concentrates mined and processed before smelting, plus the slag and ash byproducts of metal production. This is upstream of the refined metal chapters (72-81). Classification tip: Ore classification depends on the specific metal content (iron, copper, precious-metal ores each have their own subheading), so confirm assay results before filing rather than relying on a generic 'ore' description.
Pick the heading below that describes the goods, then the six-digit subheading under it. Six digits is the level the Harmonized System defines and the level customs everywhere recognises; anything beyond that is added by the importing country.
The General Rules of Interpretation, read together with the notes to Section V and to chapter 26. A description that reads right is not enough on its own — the notes routinely pull goods out of the chapter they obviously belong to and put them somewhere else. Where duty or licensing turns on the answer, ask the importing country’s customs authority for a binding ruling.
A wrong or missing code is one of the common reasons customs holds a container, and a hold shows up as a milestone that stops moving. Watch for it in the container tracking app, on the air waybill in the air cargo tracker, or through the tracking API.