HS code · 2-digit chapter

HS Code 29 – Organic chemicals

What HS 29 covers

HS Chapter 29, encompassing 'Organic chemicals,' is a foundational classification within international trade, covering an immense range of carbon-containing compounds. This chapter specifically deals with pure, isolated organic compounds, whether naturally occurring or synthetically produced, that are defined by a specific chemical structure. It acts as the building block for numerous industries, including pharmaceuticals, plastics, agrochemicals, textiles, and food processing. The scope of Chapter 29 is broad but precise, generally excluding mixtures (unless specifically provided for), pharmaceutical preparations in dosage forms (Chapter 30), formulated agrochemicals (Chapter 38), and polymers (Chapter 39). The purity criterion is vital; typically, compounds must be at least 95% pure to qualify for classification here. Key sub-categories include hydrocarbons and their derivatives (2901-2904), alcohols, phenols, ethers (2905-2909), aldehyde- and ketone-function compounds (2912-2914), carboxylic acids and their derivatives (2915-2918), nitrogen-function compounds (2920-2929), organo-inorganic compounds, heterocyclic compounds (2930-2934), provitamins, vitamins, hormones, glycosides, alkaloids (2936-2939), and antibiotics (2941). Sugars, chemically pure, are also found here (2940). Accurate classification under Chapter 29 is paramount for trade compliance due to varying tariff rates, specific regulatory controls (e.g., precursor chemicals for narcotics, dual-use goods, environmental regulations like REACH), and eligibility for free trade agreement benefits. Misclassification can lead to severe penalties, import/export delays, and supply chain disruptions. Historically, the trade in organic chemicals has expanded exponentially since the industrial revolution, underpinning modern manufacturing and technological advancements globally. Major headings delineate chemicals by their functional groups and structural complexity, guiding precise classification.

Covers
  • Benzene
  • Toluene
  • Xylene
  • Methanol
  • Ethanol
  • Isopropanol
  • Phenol
  • Acetone
  • Acetic acid
  • Citric acid
  • Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid, pure)
  • Caffeine (pure)
  • Vitamin C (ascorbic acid, pure)
  • Penicillin (pure)
  • Glucose (pure)
  • Fructose (pure)
  • Sucrose (pure)
  • Ethylene glycol
  • Propylene glycol
  • Formaldehyde
  • Aniline
  • Urea (chemically pure)
  • Glycerol
  • Styrene
  • Vinyl chloride
Examples

A German chemical manufacturer exports bulk quantities of pure acetylsalicylic acid (HS 2918.22) to an Indian pharmaceutical company for the production of aspirin tablets. This high-volume trade typically moves via sea freight from Hamburg to major Indian ports like Mumbai or Mundra, often in large container ships. Saudi Arabian petrochemical giants frequently ship massive volumes of ethylene glycol (HS 2905.31) to textile and plastics manufacturers in China and Taiwan. These shipments are usually carried by specialized chemical tankers across the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean, supplying raw materials for polyester fibers and PET plastics. A Chinese producer of food-grade citric acid (HS 2918.14) exports 25kg bags to a US beverage company for use as a preservative and flavor enhancer. These consignments are commonly transported in standard containers via trans-Pacific shipping routes from major Chinese ports like Shanghai or Ningbo to US West Coast ports such as Los Angeles or Long Beach. An American specialty chemical firm exports pure aniline (HS 2921.41) in ISO tanks to a Brazilian agrochemical producer, where it serves as a key intermediate for synthesizing herbicides and pesticides. This trade route typically involves sea freight from US Gulf Coast ports, like Houston, to Brazilian ports such as Santos or Rio de Janeiro. A Swiss pharmaceutical company imports small, high-value quantities of a complex heterocyclic compound (HS 2934.99) from a Japanese research chemical supplier. This specific organic intermediate is used in early-stage drug discovery and is usually transported via air freight, requiring precise handling and documentation due to its value and potential sensitivity.

Headings in chapter 29 42

29.01Acyclic hydrocarbons29.02Cyclic hydrocarbons29.03Halogenated derivatives of hydrocarbons29.04Sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives of hydrocarbons; whether or not halogenated29.05Acyclic alcohols and their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives29.06Alcohols; cyclic, and their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives29.07Phenols; monophenols, polyphenols, and phenol-alcohols29.08Phenols or phenol-alcohols; halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives29.09Ethers, ether-alcohols, ether-phenols, ether-alcohol-phenols, alcohol peroxides, ether peroxides, acetal and hemiacetal peroxides, ketone peroxides (chemically defined or not), and their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives29.10Epoxides, epoxyalcohols, epoxyphenols and epoxyethers; with a three-membered ring and their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives29.11Acetals and hemiacetals; whether or not with other oxygen function, and their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrostated derivatives29.12Aldehydes, whether or not with other oxygen function; cyclic polymers of aldehydes; paraformaldehyde29.13Aldehydes; halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives of products of heading no. 291229.14Ketones and quinones; whether or not with other oxygen function, and their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrostated derivatives29.15Acids; saturated acyclic monocarboxylic acids and their anhydrides, halides, peroxides and peroxyacids; their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives29.16Acids; unsaturated acyclic monocarboxylic, cyclic monocarboxylic, their anhydrides, halides, peroxides and peroxyacids; their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives29.17Acids; polycarboxylic acids, their anhydrides, halides, peroxides and peroxy-acids; their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives29.18Acids; carboxylic acid with additional oxygen function and their anhydrides, halides, peroxides, peroxyacids; their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives29.19Esters; phosphoric, and their salts, including lactophosphates, their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives29.20Esters of other inorganic acids of non-metals (other than of hydrogen halides) and their salts, their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives29.21Amine-function compounds29.22Oxygen-function amino-compounds29.23Quaternary ammonium salts and hydroxides; lecithins and other phosphoaminolipids, whether or not chemically defined29.24Carboxyamide-function compounds; amide-function compounds of carbonic acid29.25Carboxyimide-function compounds (including saccharin and its salts) and imine-function compounds29.26Nitrile-function compounds29.27Diazo-, azo- or azoxy-compounds29.28Organic derivatives of hydrazine or of hydroxylamine29.29Nitrogen-function compounds, n.e.c. in chapter 2929.30Organo-sulphur compounds29.31Other organo-inorganic compounds29.32Heterocyclic compounds with oxygen hetero-atom(s) only29.33Heterocyclic compounds with nitrogen hetero-atom(s) only29.34Nucleic acids and their salts, whether or not chemically defined; other heterocyclic compounds29.35Sulphonamides29.36Provitamins, vitamins; natural or reproduced by synthesis (including natural concentrates) derivatives thereof used as vitamins, and intermixtures of the fore-going, whether or not in any solvent29.37Hormones, prostaglandins, thromboxanes and leukotrienes, natural or reproduced by synthesis; derivatives and structural analogues thereof, including chain modified polypeptides, used primarily as hormones.29.38Glycosides, natural or reproduced by synthesis, and their salts, ethers, esters and other derivatives29.39Alkaloids; natural or reproduced by synthesis, and their salts, ethers, esters and other derivatives29.40Sugars, chemically pure, other than sucrose, lactose, maltose, glucose and fructose; sugar ethers, sugar acetals and sugar esters, and their salts, other than the products of heading 29.37, 29.38, or 29.3929.41Antibiotics29.42Organic compounds; n.e.c. in chapter 29

1,643 Brazil NCM codes in chapter 29 →

Codes often confused with 29

Common mistake. Traders frequently make classification errors with Chapter 29, often confusing pure organic chemicals with formulated products or mixtures. A common mistake involves differentiating pure vitamins or antibiotics (e.g., Vitamin C, Penicillin – HS 2936, 2941) from medicaments in dosage forms (HS 3003, 3004). Chapter 29 is strictly for the isolated, unmixed chemical compound, while Chapter 30 covers pharmaceutical preparations for therapeutic or prophylactic uses. Another frequent error is classifying formulated agrochemicals or other chemical mixtures (e.g., prepared culture media, specific pesticide formulations) under Chapter 29. These typically belong in Chapter 38 ('Miscellaneous chemical products') if they are mixtures designed for a specific end-use, whereas the pure active ingredient would be in Chapter 29. Finally, monomers (e.g., styrene, vinyl chloride – HS 2902, 2903) are sometimes confused with their corresponding polymers (e.g., polystyrene, PVC – HS 3903, 3904), which fall under Chapter 39 ('Plastics and articles thereof'). The key distinction lies in the degree of polymerization and chemical structure.

29.36Provitamins, vitamins; natural or reproduced by synthesis (including natural concentrates) derivatives thereof used as vitamins, and intermixtures of the fore-going, whether or not in any solvent29.41Antibiotics30.03Medicaments; (not goods of heading no. 3002, 3005 or 3006) of two or more constituents mixed together for therapeutic or prophylactic use not in measured doses or in forms or packings for retail sale30.04Medicaments; (not goods of heading no. 3002, 3005 or 3006) consisting of mixed or unmixed products for therapeutic or prophylactic use, put up in measured doses (incl. those in the form of transdermal admin. systems) or packed for retail sale29.02Cyclic hydrocarbons29.03Halogenated derivatives of hydrocarbons39.03Polymers of styrene, in primary forms39.04Polymers of vinyl chloride or of other halogenated olefins, in primary forms

Top exporters and importers of HS code 29, 2025

In 2025, the largest exporter of HS code 29 in UN Comtrade data was China, with 17% of world exports; the largest importer in UN Comtrade data was the United States, with 19% 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. 1 China $84.2B
  2. 2 Ireland $81.6B
  3. 3 United States $59.2B

World total: $508.8B Reported figures on UN Comtrade ↗

Top importers 2025 · share of world imports

  1. 1 United States $103.9B
  2. 2 China $49.6B
  3. 3 Italy $46.7B

World total: $544.7B 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 29

What is HS code 29?

HS code 29 is a 2-digit chapter in the Harmonized System that covers: Organic chemicals. HS Chapter 29, encompassing 'Organic chemicals,' is a foundational classification within international trade, covering an immense range of carbon-containing compounds. This chapter specifically deals with pure, isolated organic compounds, whether naturally occurring or synthetically produced, that are defined by a specific chemical structure. It acts as the building block for numerous industries, including pharmaceuticals, plastics, agrochemicals, textiles, and food processing. The scope of Chapter 29 is broad but precise, generally excluding mixtures (unless specifically provided for), pharmaceutical preparations in dosage forms (Chapter 30), formulated agrochemicals (Chapter 38), and polymers (Chapter 39). The purity criterion is vital; typically, compounds must be at least 95% pure to qualify for classification here. Key sub-categories include hydrocarbons and their derivatives (2901-2904), alcohols, phenols, ethers (2905-2909), aldehyde- and ketone-function compounds (2912-2914), carboxylic acids and their derivatives (2915-2918), nitrogen-function compounds (2920-2929), organo-inorganic compounds, heterocyclic compounds (2930-2934), provitamins, vitamins, hormones, glycosides, alkaloids (2936-2939), and antibiotics (2941). Sugars, chemically pure, are also found here (2940). Accurate classification under Chapter 29 is paramount for trade compliance due to varying tariff rates, specific regulatory controls (e.g., precursor chemicals for narcotics, dual-use goods, environmental regulations like REACH), and eligibility for free trade agreement benefits. Misclassification can lead to severe penalties, import/export delays, and supply chain disruptions. Historically, the trade in organic chemicals has expanded exponentially since the industrial revolution, underpinning modern manufacturing and technological advancements globally. Major headings delineate chemicals by their functional groups and structural complexity, guiding precise classification.

What products fall under HS code 29?

Benzene, Toluene, Xylene, Methanol, Ethanol, Isopropanol, Phenol, Acetone, Acetic acid, Citric acid, Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid, pure), Caffeine (pure), Vitamin C (ascorbic acid, pure), Penicillin (pure), Glucose (pure), Fructose (pure), Sucrose (pure), Ethylene glycol, Propylene glycol, Formaldehyde, Aniline, Urea (chemically pure), Glycerol, Styrene, Vinyl chloride

What are common misclassifications for HS code 29?

Traders frequently make classification errors with Chapter 29, often confusing pure organic chemicals with formulated products or mixtures. A common mistake involves differentiating pure vitamins or antibiotics (e.g., Vitamin C, Penicillin – HS 2936, 2941) from medicaments in dosage forms (HS 3003, 3004). Chapter 29 is strictly for the isolated, unmixed chemical compound, while Chapter 30 covers pharmaceutical preparations for therapeutic or prophylactic uses. Another frequent error is classifying formulated agrochemicals or other chemical mixtures (e.g., prepared culture media, specific pesticide formulations) under Chapter 29. These typically belong in Chapter 38 ('Miscellaneous chemical products') if they are mixtures designed for a specific end-use, whereas the pure active ingredient would be in Chapter 29. Finally, monomers (e.g., styrene, vinyl chloride – HS 2902, 2903) are sometimes confused with their corresponding polymers (e.g., polystyrene, PVC – HS 3903, 3904), which fall under Chapter 39 ('Plastics and articles thereof'). The key distinction lies in the degree of polymerization and chemical structure.

Which countries are the top exporters of goods under HS code 29?

In 2025, the top exporters of HS code 29 in UN Comtrade data were China ($84.2B, 17% of world exports), Ireland ($81.6B) and the United States ($59.2B). World exports came to about $508.8B, 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 29?

In 2025, the top importers of HS code 29 in UN Comtrade data were the United States ($103.9B, 19% of world imports), China ($49.6B) and Italy ($46.7B). World imports came to about $544.7B, 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 29 structured?

HS code 29 is a 2-digit chapter code in the Harmonized System maintained by the World Customs Organization. It represents a broad category of goods and contains multiple 4-digit headings and 6-digit subheadings for more specific classifications.