26.20 Slag, ash and residues; (not from the manufacture of iron or steel) containing metals, arsenic or their compounds
One level above the number you declare. Pick one of the six-digit codes below.
Section V, Mineral Products — salt, sulphur, earths, stone, ores, mineral fuels and mineral oils.
- 26 Chapter Ores, slag and ash
- 20 Heading Slag, ash and residues; (not from the manufacture of iron or steel) containing metals, arsenic or their compounds
- —— Subheading Pick one of the 9 six-digit codes below
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.
All of chapter 26The 9 six-digit codes under 26.20
One of these is the number you declare.
- 2620.11 Slag, ash and residues; (not from the manufacture of iron or steel), containing mainly zinc, hard zinc spelter
- 2620.19 Slag, ash and residues; (not from the manufacture of iron or steel), containing mainly zinc, other than hard zinc spelter
- 2620.21 Slag, ash and residues; (not from the manufacture of iron or steel), containing mainly lead; leaded gasoline sludges and leaded anti-knock compound sludges
- 2620.29 Slag, ash and residues; (not from the manufacture of iron or steel), containing mainly lead; excluding leaded gasoline sludges and leaded anti-knock compound sludges
- 2620.30 Slag, ash and residues; (not from the manufacture of iron or steel), containing mainly copper
- 2620.40 Slag, ash and residues; (not from the manufacture of iron or steel), containing mainly aluminium
- 2620.60 Slag, ash and residues; (not from the manufacture of iron or steel), containing arsenic, mercury, thallium or their mixtures, of a kind used for the extraction of arsenic or those metals or for the manufacture of their chemical compounds
- 2620.91 Slag, ash and residues; (not from the manufacture of iron or steel), containing antimony, beryllium, cadmium, chromium or their mixtures
- 2620.99 Slag, ash and residues; (not from the manufacture of iron or steel), containing mainly metals or their compounds, n.e.c. in heading no. 2620
Other headings in chapter 26
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 under 26.20? A customs hold shows up as a milestone that stops moving — follow the container or the air waybill from departure to delivery.
Track a shipment26.20 FAQ
Heading 26.20 covers slag, ash and residues; (not from the manufacture of iron or steel) containing metals, arsenic or their compounds. It is part of chapter 26 (ores, slag and ash), and it is subdivided into 9 six-digit subheadings — the level you actually declare.
Pick one of the 9 subheadings below. Those six digits are what customs recognises internationally; the importing country may extend them to eight or ten in its own tariff schedule.
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.