HS chapter 28 Inorganic chemicals
Inorganic chemicals, organic and inorganic compounds of precious metals, of rare earth metals, of radio-active elements and of isotopes
World trade trend
Reported world exports and imports of HS 28 per year, 2019 to 2024.
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| Year | Exports | Imports |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $111B | $116B |
| 2020 | $104B | $105B |
| 2021 | $142B | $136B |
| 2022 | $200B | $201B |
| 2023 | $172B | $177B |
| 2024 | $156B | $158B |
2025 is left out because not every country has published detailed data for that year yet.
Monthly trend
Monthly trade in HS 28 between the 28 major reporting economies and the rest of the world, Jan 2022 to Dec 2024. Good for direction and seasonality, not a full world total.
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| Month | Exports | Imports |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2022 | $2.66B | $2.56B |
| Feb 2022 | $2.61B | $2.02B |
| Mar 2022 | $3.1B | $3B |
| Apr 2022 | $3.32B | $2.37B |
| May 2022 | $3.53B | $3.4B |
| Jun 2022 | $3.27B | $4.59B |
| Jul 2022 | $3.12B | $3.3B |
| Aug 2022 | $3.04B | $3.59B |
| Sep 2022 | $2.88B | $3.49B |
| Oct 2022 | $2.82B | $2.98B |
| Nov 2022 | $2.95B | $3.41B |
| Dec 2022 | $3.23B | $3.68B |
| Jan 2023 | $2.68B | $3.95B |
| Feb 2023 | $2.7B | $3.54B |
| Mar 2023 | $3.01B | $3.99B |
| Apr 2023 | $2.7B | $3.35B |
| May 2023 | $2.61B | $2.71B |
| Jun 2023 | $2.59B | $2.84B |
| Jul 2023 | $2.28B | $2.82B |
| Aug 2023 | $2.28B | $2.9B |
| Sep 2023 | $2.47B | $2.65B |
| Oct 2023 | $2.41B | $2.33B |
| Nov 2023 | $2.58B | $3.08B |
| Dec 2023 | $2.44B | $2.53B |
| Jan 2024 | $2.35B | $2.54B |
| Feb 2024 | $2.36B | $2.05B |
| Mar 2024 | $2.63B | $2.24B |
| Apr 2024 | $2.45B | $2.76B |
| May 2024 | $2.39B | $2.73B |
| Jun 2024 | $2.71B | $2.52B |
| Jul 2024 | $2.46B | $2.43B |
| Aug 2024 | $2.69B | $2.07B |
| Sep 2024 | $2.6B | $2.34B |
| Oct 2024 | $2.98B | $2.58B |
| Nov 2024 | $2.96B | $2.73B |
| Dec 2024 | $3.02B | $2.44B |
Top exporting and importing countries
Who sold and bought the most HS 28 in 2024, by reported value and share of the world total.
Top 10 exporters
- 1$26.5B17.0% of world
- 2$14.5B9.3% of world
- 3$11.6B7.4% of world
- 4$9.55B6.1% of world
- 5$7.74B5.0% of world
- 6$7.48B4.8% of world
- 7$7.02B4.5% of world
- 8$6.92B4.4% of world
- 9$5.01B3.2% of world
- 10$4.92B3.2% of world
Top 10 importers
India focus
What India traded in HS 28 in 2024, as reported by its trading partners.
India does not publish detailed six digit trade figures. These are mirror figures, built from what the 28 major economies reported about their trade with India, so treat them as a lower bound.
India's largest exports in this chapter
- 12803.00Carbon (carbon blacks and other forms of carbon not elsewhere specified or included)$370M
- 22818.20Aluminium oxide, other than artificial corundum$165M
- 32827.49Chloride oxides and chloride hydroxides, other$72M
- 42815.12Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), in aqueous solution (soda lye or liquid soda)$65.8M
- 52811.22Silicon dioxide$62.6M
- 62833.29Sulphates, alums, peroxosulphates (persulphates), other$62.3M
- 72827.60Iodides and iodide oxides$49.9M
- 82827.32Chlorides of aluminium$45.1M
Headings in chapter 28
Every four digit code under HS 28 with world exports in 2024.
- 2801Fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine$2.89BImports $2.55B
- 2802Sulphur, sublimed or precipitated, colloidal sulphur$533MImports $123M
- 2803Carbon, carbon blacks and other forms of carbon not elsewhere classified$5.79BImports $6.4B
- 2804Hydrogen, rare gases and other non-metals$11BImports $11.1B
- 2805Alkali or alkaline-earth metals, rare-earth metals, scandium and yttrium, whether or not intermixed or interalloyed, mercury$1.18BImports $1.27B
- 2806Hydrogen chloride (hydrochloric acid), chlorosulphuric acid$402MImports $394M
- 2807Sulphuric acid, oleum$1.18BImports $2.37B
- 2808Nitric acid, sulphonitric acids$386MImports $428M
- 2809Diphosphorus pentaoxide, phosphoric acid, polyphosphoric acids, whether or not chemically defined$5.23BImports $3.69B
- 2810Oxides of boron, boric acids$398MImports $688M
- 2811Other inorganic acids and other inorganic oxygen compounds of non-metals$5.58BImports $5.94B
- 2812Halides and halide oxides of non-metals$831MImports $641M
- 2813Sulphides of non-metals, commercial phosphorus trisulphide$174MImports $158M
- 2814Ammonia, anhydrous or in aqueous solution$5.49BImports $7.47B
- 2815Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), potassium hydroxide (caustic potash), peroxides of sodium or potassium$5.46BImports $6.98B
- 2816Hydroxide and peroxide of magnesium, oxides, hydroxides and peroxides, of strontium or barium$228MImports $290M
- 2817Zinc, oxide and peroxide$1.32BImports $1.35B
- 2818Artificial corundum, whether or not chemically defined, aluminium oxide, aluminium hydroxide$20BImports $18B
- 2819Chromium oxides and hydroxides$274MImports $477M
- 2820Manganese oxides$359MImports $388M
- 2821Iron oxides and hydroxides, earth colours containing 70 % or more by weight of combined iron evaluated as Fe2O3$679MImports $920M
- 2822Cobalt oxides and hydroxides, commercial cobalt oxides$200MImports $305M
- 2823Titanium oxides$509MImports $708M
- 2824Lead oxides, red lead and orange lead$108MImports $114M
- 2825Hydrazine and hydroxylamine and their inorganic salts, other inorganic bases, other metal oxides, hydroxides and peroxides$7.72BImports $8.96B
- 2826Fluorides, fluorosilicates, fluoroaluminates and other complex fluorine salts$1.18BImports $1.3B
- 2827Chlorides, chloride oxides and chloride hydroxides, bromides and bromide oxides, iodides and iodide oxides$3.21BImports $3.47B
- 2828Hypochlorites, commercial calcium hypochlorite, chlorites, hypobromites$647MImports $659M
- 2829Chlorates and perchlorates, bromates and perbromates, iodates and periodates$604MImports $619M
- 2830Sulphides, polysulphides, whether or not chemically defined$619MImports $523M
- 2831Dithionites and sulphoxylates$178MImports $204M
- 2832Sulphites, thiosulphates$459MImports $535M
- 2833Sulphates, alums, peroxosulphates (persulphates)$4.27BImports $4.86B
- 2834Nitrites, nitrates$1.18BImports $1.39B
- 2835Phosphinates (hypophosphites), phosphonates (phosphites) and phosphates, polyphosphates, whether or not chemically defined$4.12BImports $4.18B
- 2836Carbonates, peroxocarbonates (percarbonates), commercial ammonium carbonate containing ammonium carbamate$9.96BImports $11.5B
- 2837Cyanides, cyanide oxides and complex cyanides$1.04BImports $1.15B
- 2839Silicates, commercial alkali metal silicates$757MImports $803M
- 2840Borates, peroxoborates (perborates)$669MImports $1.28B
- 2841Salts of oxometallic or peroxometallic acids$9.64BImports $5.19B
- 2842Other salts of inorganic acids or peroxoacids (including aluminosilicates whether or not chemically defined), other than azides$3.42BImports $3.78B
- 2843Colloidal precious metals, inorganic or organic compounds of precious metals, whether or not chemically defined, amalgams of precious metals$8.79BImports $5.86B
- 2844Radioactive chemical elements and radioactive isotopes (including the fissile or fertile chemical elements and isotopes) and their compounds…$16.4BImports $20B
- 2845Isotopes other than those of heading 2844, compounds, inorganic or organic, of such isotopes, whether or not chemically defined$2.83BImports $1.86B
- 2846Compounds, inorganic or organic, of rare-earth metals, of yttrium or of scandium or of mixtures of these metals$2.64BImports $2.44B
- 2847Hydrogen peroxide, whether or not solidified with urea$793MImports $888M
- 2849Carbides, whether or not chemically defined$1.51BImports $1.89B
- 2850Hydrides, nitrides, azides, silicides and borides, whether or not chemically defined, other than compounds which are also carbides of heading 2849$648MImports $610M
- 2852Inorganic or organic compounds of mercury, whether or not chemically defined, excluding amalgams$12.5MImports $17.4M
- 2853Phosphides, whether or not chemically defined, excluding ferrophosphorus, other inorganic compounds (including distilled or conductivity water…$2.45BImports $817M
Questions about HS 28
Quick answers based on the classification and the trade figures above.
What is HS code 28?
HS code 28 is a chapter of the Harmonized System that covers inorganic chemicals, organic and inorganic compounds of precious metals, of rare earth metals, of radio-active elements and of isotopes. It is split into 50 more detailed four digit headings.
How much is traded worldwide under HS code 28?
In 2024, countries reported exports worth $156B and imports worth $158B under HS code 28. Reported exports changed by −9.5% compared with 2023. These are trade statistics in US dollars, not prices.
Which countries export the most under HS code 28?
The largest exporters in 2024 were China (17.0% of world exports), United States (9.3% of world exports) and Germany (7.4% of world exports).
Which countries import the most under HS code 28?
The largest importers in 2024 were China (12.2% of world imports), United States (12.0% of world imports) and South Korea (7.7% of world imports).
Does India export or import goods under HS code 28?
Yes. Based on what the major economies reported about their trade with India, India exported at least $1.85B and imported at least $4.96B under HS code 28 in 2024.
Is the HS code the same in every country?
The first six digits are shared by every country that uses the Harmonized System. Countries add their own digits after that, for example India uses eight digit ITC-HS codes and the United States uses ten digit HTS codes, so check the national tariff for the full code and the duty rate.