68.12 Fabricated asbestos fibres; mixtures with a basis of asbestos or of asbestos and magnesium carbonate; articles of such mixtures or of asbestos (e.g. thread, woven fabric, clothing, footwear), whether or not reinforced, not goods of heading 6811 or 6813
One level above the number you declare. Pick one of the six-digit codes below.
Section XIII, Stone, Ceramics & Glass — articles of stone, plaster, cement, ceramics and glass.
- 68 Chapter Stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica or similar materials; articles thereof
- 12 Heading Fabricated asbestos fibres; mixtures with a basis of asbestos or of asbestos and magnesium carbonate; articles of such mixtures or of asbestos (e.g. thread, woven fabric, clothing, footwear), whether or not reinforced, not goods of heading 6811 or 6813
- —— Subheading Pick one of the 3 six-digit codes below
Chapter 68 covers stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica or similar materials; articles thereof: worked stone, cement products, abrasives and mineral-fibre articles, downstream of the raw minerals in chapter 25. Classification tip: Asbestos-containing products are banned outright or heavily restricted in most major import markets regardless of HS code, so confirm the product's actual composition before relying on the classification alone.
All of chapter 68The 3 six-digit codes under 68.12
One of these is the number you declare.
- 6812.80 Fabricated crocidolite (blue asbestos) fibres, mixtures with a basis of crocidolite (blue asbestos), articles of crocidolite (blue asbestos), whether or not reinforced, not goods of heading 6811 or 6813
- 6812.91 Asbestos or mixtures with a basis of asbestos (other than crocidolite); clothing, clothing accessories, footwear and headgear, whether or not reinforced, not goods of heading 6811 or 6813
- 6812.99 Asbestos or mixtures with a basis of asbestos (other than crocidolite); fibres, mixtures or articles n.e.c. in heading no. 6812, whether or not reinforced, not goods of heading 6811 or 6813
Other headings in chapter 68
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 68.12? A customs hold shows up as a milestone that stops moving — follow the container or the air waybill from departure to delivery.
Track a shipment68.12 FAQ
Heading 68.12 covers fabricated asbestos fibres; mixtures with a basis of asbestos or of asbestos and magnesium carbonate; articles of such mixtures or of asbestos (e.g. thread, woven fabric, clothing, footwear), whether or not reinforced, not goods of heading 6811 or 6813. It is part of chapter 68 (stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica or similar materials; articles thereof), and it is subdivided into 3 six-digit subheadings — the level you actually declare.
Pick one of the 3 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 XIII and to chapter 68. 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.