8109.91 Zirconium; other than unwrought, n.e.c. in heading no. 8109, containing less than 1 part hafnium to 500 parts zirconium by weight
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 XV, Base Metals — iron, steel, copper, aluminium, other base metals and articles thereof.
- 81 Chapter Metals; n.e.c., cermets and articles thereof
- 09 Heading Zirconium; articles thereof, including waste and scrap
- 91 Subheading Zirconium; other than unwrought, n.e.c. in heading no. 8109, containing less than 1 part hafnium to 500 parts zirconium by weight
Chapter 81 covers metals; n.e.c. (not elsewhere classified), cermets and articles thereof: tungsten, molybdenum, tantalum, magnesium, cobalt, titanium and similar specialty metals, plus cermets, used mostly in aerospace, electronics and industrial tooling. Classification tip: Cobalt and tantalum are both flagged under conflict-minerals due-diligence rules for electronics and battery supply chains, so pair the HS code with sourcing/chain-of-custody documentation for these two metals specifically.
All of chapter 81Other codes under 81.09
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 8109.91? A customs hold shows up as a milestone that stops moving — follow the container or the air waybill from departure to delivery.
Track a shipment8109.91 FAQ
8109.91 covers zirconium; other than unwrought, n.e.c. in heading no. 8109, containing less than 1 part hafnium to 500 parts zirconium by weight. It sits under heading 81.09 (zirconium; articles thereof, including waste and scrap) in chapter 81, Section XV 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 8109.91 plus whatever national digits the destination’s tariff schedule adds to it.
The General Rules of Interpretation, read together with the notes to Section XV and to chapter 81. 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.