HS code · 4-digit heading
HS Code 15.22 – Degras; residues resulting from the treatment of fatty substances or animal or vegetable waxes
What HS 15.22 covers
Heading 1522 is dedicated to 'Degras; residues resulting from the treatment of fatty substances or animal or vegetable waxes.' This classification specifically targets by-products and residues, rather than primary fats, oils, or waxes. Degras, a fatty substance produced during the tanning of leather, is a prime example, valued for its emollient properties. The broader scope includes various residues generated from the refining, processing, or extraction of animal or vegetable fats, oils, and waxes. This encompasses substances like soap stocks, acid oils, filter cakes, and other spent materials. The critical boundary for this heading is that the products must unequivocally be 'residues' from the treatment process, not the main output or a distinct, purified chemical compound. They are often impure mixtures with specific industrial applications, such as in the manufacture of soaps, lubricants, animal feed, or for further chemical recovery. Accurate classification here is vital for trade compliance as these residues can have different environmental regulations, tariffs, and handling requirements compared to their parent substances. Their trade significance lies in their role in a circular economy, converting industrial by-products into valuable resources. This heading concludes Chapter 15, aptly summarizing the end-products and residues derived from the broader category of animal and vegetable fats, oils, and waxes.
- Covers
- Degras (wool grease residues)
- Soap stocks
- Acid oils from refining
- Oil foot
- Spent bleaching earth residue
- Filter cake from oil processing
- Fatty acid distillates (residues)
- Glycerol pitch
- Crude lanolin residues
- Residues from beeswax refining
- Residues from candelilla wax extraction
- Sludge from vegetable oil production
- Fatty amines (residues)
- Spent catalyst from hydrogenation (from fat processing)
- Tank bottoms from fat storage
- Dregs from rendering
- Spent fullers' earth from oil purification
- Residues from solvent extraction of oils
- Crude stearin pitch
- Crude olein pitch
- Distillation residues of fatty acids
- Residues from fat splitting.
- Examples
An oil refinery in Malaysia exports several containers of soap stock (a residue from edible oil refining) to an industrial soap manufacturer in India, leveraging the busy Southeast Asia-South Asia maritime routes. Concurrently, a tannery in Italy ships degras, a byproduct of leather production, to a specialized lubricant producer in the United States, typically via transatlantic freight. In another instance, a biodiesel plant in Brazil exports glycerol pitch, a residue from glycerin production, to China for use in chemical recovery processes, often through bulk cargo shipping.
Subheadings under 15.22 1
Codes often confused with 15.22
Common mistake. A common mistake is confusing 1522 residues with primary fats and oils (e.g., 1501-1518 in Chapter 15). The distinction is that 1522 covers *residues* or by-products, which are often impure or spent, not the main refined products. Another error is classifying these residues as general waste products under Chapter 23 (Residues and Waste from the Food Industries; Prepared Animal Fodder) or Chapter 38 (Miscellaneous Chemical Products), especially if they have undergone minimal processing. Heading 1522 is specific to residues *resulting from the treatment of fatty substances or waxes*. Finally, traders might confuse these mixed residues with purified chemical compounds like isolated fatty acids (Chapter 29, Organic Chemicals), but 1522 covers heterogeneous mixtures, not pure chemicals.
Top exporters and importers of HS code 1522, 2025
In 2025, the largest exporter of HS code 1522 in UN Comtrade data was Indonesia, with 26% of world exports; the largest importer in UN Comtrade data was Spain, with 32% of world imports. Countries that did not report 2025 data are estimated from partner records, which can understate them.
Top exporters 2025 · share of world exports
- 1 Indonesia $107M 26% of world exports
- 2 Malaysia $72M 18% of world exports
- 3 Netherlands $49M 12% of world exports
World total: $407M Reported figures on UN Comtrade ↗
Top importers 2025 · share of world imports
- 1 Spain $344M 32% of world imports
- 2 Italy $335M 31% of world imports
- 3 France $78M 7.2% of world imports
World total: $1.1B Reported figures on UN Comtrade ↗
How these figures are built
109 countries reported 2025 trade to UN Comtrade in HS 2022, and their own totals are used. Countries that did not report are estimated from what other countries recorded trading with them. Those estimates miss trade with other non-reporting countries, so they can be low, and a non-reporting country can rank higher than shown or be missing from the list. World totals add both and leave out trade between two non-reporting countries. Figures are in current US dollars; reported imports are mostly valued CIF and exports FOB, and exports include re-exports. The UN Comtrade links show the underlying records; they can also list a few reporters left out here (regional groups and older HS editions).
Source: UN Comtrade (United Nations Statistics Division), 2025 annual data.
Questions about HS 15.22
What is HS code 1522?
HS code 1522 is a 4-digit heading in the Harmonized System that covers: Degras; residues resulting from the treatment of fatty substances or animal or vegetable waxes. Heading 1522 is dedicated to 'Degras; residues resulting from the treatment of fatty substances or animal or vegetable waxes.' This classification specifically targets by-products and residues, rather than primary fats, oils, or waxes. Degras, a fatty substance produced during the tanning of leather, is a prime example, valued for its emollient properties. The broader scope includes various residues generated from the refining, processing, or extraction of animal or vegetable fats, oils, and waxes. This encompasses substances like soap stocks, acid oils, filter cakes, and other spent materials. The critical boundary for this heading is that the products must unequivocally be 'residues' from the treatment process, not the main output or a distinct, purified chemical compound. They are often impure mixtures with specific industrial applications, such as in the manufacture of soaps, lubricants, animal feed, or for further chemical recovery. Accurate classification here is vital for trade compliance as these residues can have different environmental regulations, tariffs, and handling requirements compared to their parent substances. Their trade significance lies in their role in a circular economy, converting industrial by-products into valuable resources. This heading concludes Chapter 15, aptly summarizing the end-products and residues derived from the broader category of animal and vegetable fats, oils, and waxes.
What products fall under HS code 1522?
Degras (wool grease residues), soap stocks, acid oils from refining, oil foot, spent bleaching earth residue, filter cake from oil processing, fatty acid distillates (residues), glycerol pitch, crude lanolin residues, residues from beeswax refining, residues from candelilla wax extraction, sludge from vegetable oil production, fatty amines (residues), spent catalyst from hydrogenation (from fat processing), tank bottoms from fat storage, dregs from rendering, spent fullers' earth from oil purification, residues from solvent extraction of oils, crude stearin pitch, crude olein pitch, distillation residues of fatty acids, residues from fat splitting.
What are common misclassifications for HS code 1522?
A common mistake is confusing 1522 residues with primary fats and oils (e.g., 1501-1518 in Chapter 15). The distinction is that 1522 covers *residues* or by-products, which are often impure or spent, not the main refined products. Another error is classifying these residues as general waste products under Chapter 23 (Residues and Waste from the Food Industries; Prepared Animal Fodder) or Chapter 38 (Miscellaneous Chemical Products), especially if they have undergone minimal processing. Heading 1522 is specific to residues *resulting from the treatment of fatty substances or waxes*. Finally, traders might confuse these mixed residues with purified chemical compounds like isolated fatty acids (Chapter 29, Organic Chemicals), but 1522 covers heterogeneous mixtures, not pure chemicals.
Which countries are the top exporters of goods under HS code 1522?
In 2025, the top exporters of HS code 1522 in UN Comtrade data were Indonesia ($107M, 26% of world exports), Malaysia ($72M) and the Netherlands ($49M). World exports came to about $407M, adding countries' reported figures and partner-based estimates for those that did not report (UN Comtrade data). Countries that did not report 2025 data are estimated from partner records, which can understate them.
Which countries are the top importers of goods under HS code 1522?
In 2025, the top importers of HS code 1522 in UN Comtrade data were Spain ($344M, 32% of world imports), Italy ($335M) and France ($78M). World imports came to about $1.1B, adding countries' reported figures and partner-based estimates for those that did not report (UN Comtrade data). Countries that did not report 2025 data are estimated from partner records, which can understate them.
How is HS code 1522 structured?
HS code 1522 is a 4-digit heading under Chapter 15 of the Harmonized System. The first 2 digits (15) identify the chapter, and digits 3-4 (22) specify the heading. This code contains multiple 6-digit subheadings for precise product classification.