Chapter
Chapter 68: Articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica or similar materials
Chapter 68 of the Harmonized System has 15 headings and belongs to section XIII (articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica or similar materials; ceramic products; glass and glassware).
Duty rates compared
UK Free – 2% Third-country duty 78 tariff lines · average 0.1% 
EU Free – 3.7% Third-country duty 61 tariff lines · average 1.2% 
Türkiye Free – 3.7% Third-country duty 90 tariff lines · average 1.1% 
USA Free – 9% General (MFN) 68 tariff lines · average 1.8% · 1× specific or compound duty 
Canada Free – 15.5% General (MFN) 68 tariff lines · average 3.4% 
Mexico Free – 35% General (MFN) 84 tariff lines · average 7.7% 
Brazil Free – 25% General (MFN) 70 tariff lines · average 8% 
Argentina Free – 35% General (MFN) 146 tariff lines · average 9% 
Peru Free – 6% General (MFN) 61 tariff lines · average 0.8% 
New Zealand Free – 5% General (MFN) 103 tariff lines · average 2.5% 
Japan Free – 3.5% General (MFN) 59 tariff lines · average 0.9% 
Taiwan Free – 10% General (MFN) 106 tariff lines · average 7.2% 
GCC 5% General (MFN) 135 tariff lines 
Switzerland Free General (MFN) 50 tariff lines 
Norway Free General (MFN) 64 tariff lines 
North Macedonia Free – 20% General (MFN) 69 tariff lines · average 14.3% 
Nigeria 5% – 20% General (MFN) 53 tariff lines · average 16.8% Headings 15
- 6801Setts, curbstones and flagstones, of natural stone (except slate)
- 6802Worked monumental or building stone (except slate) and articles thereof, other than goods of heading 6801; mosaic cubes and the like, of natural stone (including slate), whether or not on a backing; artificially coloured granules, chippings and powder, of natural stone (including slate)
- 6803Worked slate and articles of slate or of agglomerated slate
- 6804Millstones, grindstones, grinding wheels and the like, without frameworks, for grinding, sharpening, polishing, trueing or cutting, hand sharpening or polishing stones, and parts thereof, of natural stone, of agglomerated natural or artificial abrasives, or of ceramics, with or without parts of other materials
- 6805Natural or artificial abrasive powder or grain, on a base of textile material, of paper, of paperboard or of other materials, whether or not cut to shape or sewn or otherwise made up
- 6806Slag-wool, rock-wool and similar mineral wools; exfoliated vermiculite, expanded clays, foamed slag and similar expanded mineral materials; mixtures and articles of heat-insulating, sound-insulating or sound-absorbing mineral materials, other than those of heading 6811 or 6812 or of Chapter 69
- 6807Articles of asphalt or of similar material (for example, petroleum bitumen or coal tar pitch)
- 6808Panels, boards, tiles, blocks and similar articles of vegetable fibre, of straw or of shavings, chips, particles, sawdust or other waste of wood, agglomerated with cement, plaster or other mineral binders
- 6809Articles of plaster or of compositions based on plaster
- 6810Articles of cement, of concrete or of artificial stone, whether or not reinforced
- 6811Articles of asbestos-cement, of cellulose fibre-cement or the like
- 6812Fabricated asbestos fibres; mixtures with a basis of asbestos or with a basis of asbestos and magnesium carbonate; articles of such mixtures or of asbestos (for example, thread, woven fabric, clothing, headgear, footwear, gaskets), whether or not reinforced, other than goods of heading 6811 or 6813
- 6813Friction material and articles thereof (for example, sheets, rolls, strips, segments, discs, washers, pads), not mounted, for brakes, for clutches or the like, with a basis of asbestos, of other mineral substances or of cellulose, whether or not combined with textile or other materials
- 6814Worked mica and articles of mica, including agglomerated or reconstituted mica, whether or not on a support of paper, paperboard or other materials
- 6815Articles of stone or of other mineral substances (including carbon fibres, articles of carbon fibres and articles of peat), not elsewhere specified or included
EU: imports by month
World trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$2mUS$2m+US$95m+US$873m+> US$2bn
Exports: 219
- China: US$12bn
- Germany: US$5bn
- United States: US$4bn
- Italy: US$3bn
- India: US$2bn
- Spain: US$2bn
- Japan: US$2bn
- Türkiye: US$2bn
- Poland: US$2bn
- Mexico: US$2bn
- France: US$1bn
- Canada: US$1bn
- Brazil: US$1bn
- United Kingdom: US$1bn
- Netherlands: US$1bn
- Belgium: US$1bn
- South Korea: US$1bn
- Malaysia: US$1bn
- Austria: US$981m
- Thailand: US$903m
- Czechia: US$887m
- Vietnam: US$873m
- Portugal: US$687m
- Egypt: US$603m
- Hungary: US$554m
- Switzerland: US$454m
- Greece: US$376m
- Russia: US$353m
- Slovenia: US$347m
- Denmark: US$346m
- Taiwan: US$319m
- Finland: US$301m
- Sweden: US$298m
- Ireland: US$291m
- Saudi Arabia: US$273m
- United Arab Emirates: US$268m
- Slovakia: US$236m
- Indonesia: US$234m
- Philippines: US$230m
- Croatia: US$215m
- Lithuania: US$180m
- South Africa: US$155m
- Norway: US$143m
- Israel: US$141m
- Bulgaria: US$138m
- Romania: US$128m
- Latvia: US$126m
- Singapore: US$120m
- Estonia: US$114m
- Serbia: US$107m
- Ukraine: US$107m
- Oman: US$107m
- Australia: US$102m
- Uzbekistan: US$95m
- Zambia: US$87m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$86m
- Bosnia & Herzegovina: US$73m
- Colombia: US$73m
- Kazakhstan: US$71m
- Morocco: US$69m
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$35mUS$35m+US$167m+US$738m+> US$2bn
Imports: 224
- United States: US$10bn
- Germany: US$4bn
- France: US$3bn
- United Kingdom: US$2bn
- South Korea: US$2bn
- Canada: US$2bn
- China: US$2bn
- Netherlands: US$2bn
- Italy: US$2bn
- Poland: US$1bn
- India: US$1bn
- Vietnam: US$1bn
- Japan: US$1bn
- Singapore: US$1bn
- Spain: US$1bn
- Switzerland: US$1bn
- Mexico: US$989m
- Saudi Arabia: US$953m
- Austria: US$950m
- Belgium: US$910m
- Australia: US$868m
- United Arab Emirates: US$854m
- Taiwan: US$738m
- Brazil: US$702m
- Denmark: US$682m
- Czechia: US$678m
- Sweden: US$649m
- Russia: US$592m
- Türkiye: US$586m
- Indonesia: US$585m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$556m
- Romania: US$489m
- Malaysia: US$469m
- Hungary: US$453m
- Thailand: US$439m
- Kazakhstan: US$428m
- Norway: US$404m
- Ireland: US$388m
- Philippines: US$386m
- Slovakia: US$382m
- Israel: US$370m
- Portugal: US$369m
- Libya: US$317m
- Morocco: US$310m
- Finland: US$273m
- Iraq: US$261m
- South Africa: US$237m
- Kuwait: US$216m
- Slovenia: US$216m
- Croatia: US$208m
- Ukraine: US$196m
- New Zealand: US$194m
- Lithuania: US$187m
- Serbia: US$184m
- Luxembourg: US$172m
- Egypt: US$167m
- Qatar: US$158m
- Bulgaria: US$155m
- Greece: US$148m
- Argentina: US$143m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  China | US$12bn | 19.5% |
| 2 |  Germany | US$5bn | 9.1% |
| 3 | United States | US$4bn | 7.2% |
| 4 |  Italy | US$3bn | 5.7% |
| 5 |  India | US$2bn | 4% |
| 6 |  Spain | US$2bn | 3.9% |
| 7 | Japan | US$2bn | 3.6% |
| 8 | Türkiye | US$2bn | 3.3% |
| 9 |  Poland | US$2bn | 3% |
| 10 | Mexico | US$2bn | 2.5% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | US$10bn | 16.8% |
| 2 | Germany | US$4bn | 6.1% |
| 3 |  France | US$3bn | 4.3% |
| 4 | United Kingdom | US$2bn | 4.1% |
| 5 |  South Korea | US$2bn | 3.7% |
| 6 | Canada | US$2bn | 3.1% |
| 7 | China | US$2bn | 3% |
| 8 |  Netherlands | US$2bn | 2.6% |
| 9 | Italy | US$2bn | 2.6% |
| 10 | Poland | US$1bn | 2.1% |
The UK Global Tariff divides chapter 68 into 78 tariff lines; the duty is between 0% and 2% (average 0.1%). 69 of them are duty-free.
In the EU Combined Nomenclature, chapter 68 covers 61 tariff lines and the duty is between 0% and 3.7%. 25 of them are duty-free.
The Turkish Customs Tariff Schedule divides chapter 68 into 90 tariff lines; the duty is between 0% and 3.7% (average 1.1%). 40 of them are duty-free.
In 2024, countries exported chapter 68 goods worth US$59bn (+1.1% year on year).
The largest exporter was China (US$12bn), followed by Germany.
The biggest buyer was the United States, with imports of US$10bn.
Chapter notes
Notes
1. This chapter does not cover:
(a) goods of Chapter 25;
(b) coated, impregnated or covered paper and paperboard of heading 4810 or 4811 (for example, paper and paperboard coated with mica powder or graphite, bituminised or asphalted paper and paperboard);
(c) coated, impregnated or covered textile fabric of Chapter 56 or 59 (for example, fabric coated or covered with mica powder, bituminised or asphalted fabric);
(d) articles of Chapter 71;
(e) tools or parts of tools, of Chapter 82;
(f) lithographic stones of heading 8442;
(g) electrical insulators (heading 8546) or fittings of insulating material of heading 8547;
(h) dental burrs (heading 9018);
(ij) articles of Chapter 91 (for example, clocks and clock cases);
(k) articles of Chapter 94 (for example, furniture, luminaires and lighting fittings, prefabricated buildings);
(l) articles of Chapter 95 (for example, toys, games and sports requisites);
(m) articles of heading 9602, if made of materials specified in Note 2(b) to Chapter 96, or of heading 9606 (for example, buttons), of heading 9609 (for example, slate pencils), heading 9610 (for example, drawing slates) or of heading 9620 (monopods, bipods, tripods and similar articles); or
(n) articles of Chapter 97 (for example, works of art).
2. In heading 6802, the expression ‘worked monumental or building stone’ applies not only to the varieties of stone referred to in heading 2515 or 2516 but also to all other natural stone (for example, quartzite, flint, dolomite and steatite) similarly worked; it does not, however, apply to slate.
Products classified here
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica or similar materials?
Articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica or similar materials make up HS chapter 68, in section XIII of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos… in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 68 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 0% to 2%, depending on the line. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
What is the import duty on articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos… in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 68 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 0% to 3.7%, depending on the line. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos…?
China, with US$12bn in 2024 (19.5% of world exports).