2701.20 Briquettes, ovoids and similar solid fuels; manufactured from coal
A full HS code. These six digits are what goes on a customs declaration, and they mean the same thing in every country that uses the Harmonized System.
Section V, Mineral Products — salt, sulphur, earths, stone, ores, mineral fuels and mineral oils.
- 27 Chapter Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes
- 01 Heading Coal; briquettes, ovoids and similar solid fuels manufactured from coal
- 20 Subheading Briquettes, ovoids and similar solid fuels; manufactured from coal
Chapter 27 covers mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes: crude petroleum, refined petroleum products, natural gas, coal and coke, plus bituminous substances and mineral waxes. It is one of the highest-value chapters in world trade by volume, and many countries apply separate energy-specific duties or exemptions on top of the base tariff. Classification tip: Crude versus refined petroleum products (gasoline, diesel, jet fuel) each sit on distinct subheadings with very different duty and excise treatment, and many countries additionally regulate fuel imports through licensing separate from customs.
All of chapter 27Other codes under 27.01
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 2701.20? A customs hold shows up as a milestone that stops moving — follow the container or the air waybill from departure to delivery.
Track a shipment2701.20 FAQ
2701.20 covers briquettes, ovoids and similar solid fuels; manufactured from coal. It sits under heading 27.01 (coal; briquettes, ovoids and similar solid fuels manufactured from coal) in chapter 27, Section V of the Harmonized System.
It is the international part of it. Six digits are the same in every country that applies the Harmonized System; the importing country then extends them to eight or ten for its own tariff and statistics. Declare 2701.20 plus whatever national digits the destination’s tariff schedule adds to it.
The General Rules of Interpretation, read together with the notes to Section V and to chapter 27. 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.