Heading · Chapter 69
6903: Other refractory ceramic goods (for example, retorts, crucibles, muffles, nozzles, plugs, supports, cupels, tubes, pipes, sheaths, rods and slide gates), other than those of siliceous fossil meals or of similar siliceous earths
Heading 6903 is divided into 3 six-digit subheadings and sits in chapter 69, ceramic products.
Duty rates compared
UK 4% Third-country duty 6 tariff lines 
EU 5% Third-country duty 5 tariff lines 
Türkiye 5% Third-country duty 12 tariff lines 
USA Free General (MFN) 3 tariff lines 
Canada Free Third-country duty 3 tariff lines 
Mexico Free Third-country duty 7 tariff lines 
Brazil 9% Third-country duty 17 tariff lines 
Argentina 9% Third-country duty 17 tariff lines 
Peru Free Third-country duty 6 tariff lines 
New Zealand 5% Third-country duty 9 tariff lines 
Japan 3.5% Third-country duty 3 tariff lines 
Taiwan 6% – 10% Third-country duty 13 tariff lines · average 6.9% 
GCC 5% Third-country duty 3 tariff lines 
Switzerland Free Third-country duty 3 tariff lines 
Norway Free Third-country duty 3 tariff lines 
North Macedonia 3% Third-country duty 5 tariff lines 
Nigeria 20% Third-country duty 3 tariff lines Subheadings 3
EU: imports by month
World trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$334kUS$334k+US$5m+US$45m+> US$209m
Exports: 116
- China: US$490m
- United States: US$333m
- Germany: US$310m
- Japan: US$209m
- Poland: US$134m
- Mexico: US$125m
- Czechia: US$118m
- India: US$113m
- United Kingdom: US$105m
- Italy: US$74m
- South Korea: US$47m
- France: US$45m
- Malaysia: US$44m
- Spain: US$42m
- Hungary: US$36m
- Canada: US$35m
- Türkiye: US$25m
- Netherlands: US$23m
- Brazil: US$21m
- Belgium: US$21m
- Thailand: US$12m
- Austria: US$10m
- Singapore: US$10m
- Taiwan: US$9m
- Slovenia: US$8m
- Vietnam: US$6m
- South Africa: US$5m
- Bulgaria: US$5m
- Sweden: US$5m
- Switzerland: US$4m
- Egypt: US$4m
- Australia: US$4m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$4m
- Tunisia: US$4m
- Denmark: US$2m
- Slovakia: US$2m
- Russia: US$2m
- United Arab Emirates: US$2m
- Portugal: US$2m
- Bosnia & Herzegovina: US$2m
- Peru: US$2m
- Norway: US$1m
- Israel: US$1m
- New Zealand: US$1m
- Ireland: US$1m
- Indonesia: US$977k
- Chile: US$889k
- Romania: US$858k
- Finland: US$783k
- Luxembourg: US$676k
- Croatia: US$668k
- Ukraine: US$497k
- Mauritius: US$400k
- Oman: US$399k
- Argentina: US$354k
- Kazakhstan: US$334k
- Serbia: US$332k
- Morocco: US$307k
- Colombia: US$302k
- Panama: US$294k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$744kUS$744k+US$8m+US$40m+> US$104m
Imports: 196
- United States: US$334m
- South Korea: US$159m
- Germany: US$144m
- China: US$136m
- Mexico: US$128m
- Italy: US$104m
- Canada: US$85m
- France: US$83m
- India: US$81m
- Türkiye: US$80m
- Poland: US$69m
- Indonesia: US$62m
- United Kingdom: US$58m
- Spain: US$53m
- Russia: US$53m
- Brazil: US$46m
- Taiwan: US$45m
- Japan: US$45m
- Austria: US$41m
- Netherlands: US$40m
- Malaysia: US$35m
- Vietnam: US$33m
- Belgium: US$28m
- Thailand: US$26m
- Egypt: US$24m
- United Arab Emirates: US$22m
- Saudi Arabia: US$20m
- Australia: US$20m
- Czechia: US$19m
- Singapore: US$19m
- Sweden: US$19m
- Switzerland: US$18m
- Argentina: US$17m
- South Africa: US$16m
- Finland: US$15m
- Ukraine: US$12m
- Romania: US$12m
- Slovenia: US$12m
- Chile: US$12m
- Portugal: US$11m
- Peru: US$11m
- Algeria: US$11m
- Morocco: US$11m
- Slovakia: US$10m
- Kazakhstan: US$10m
- Denmark: US$10m
- Colombia: US$9m
- Norway: US$8m
- Hungary: US$8m
- Israel: US$7m
- Bahrain: US$7m
- Bangladesh: US$6m
- Pakistan: US$6m
- Philippines: US$5m
- Tunisia: US$5m
- Oman: US$5m
- Croatia: US$5m
- Serbia: US$5m
- Greece: US$5m
- Iran: US$5m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  China | US$490m | 19.9% |
| 2 | United States | US$333m | 13.5% |
| 3 |  Germany | US$310m | 12.6% |
| 4 | Japan | US$209m | 8.5% |
| 5 |  Poland | US$134m | 5.4% |
| 6 | Mexico | US$125m | 5.1% |
| 7 |  Czechia | US$118m | 4.8% |
| 8 |  India | US$113m | 4.6% |
| 9 | United Kingdom | US$105m | 4.2% |
| 10 |  Italy | US$74m | 3% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | US$334m | 13.5% |
| 2 |  South Korea | US$159m | 6.4% |
| 3 | Germany | US$144m | 5.8% |
| 4 | China | US$136m | 5.5% |
| 5 | Mexico | US$128m | 5.2% |
| 6 | Italy | US$104m | 4.2% |
| 7 | Canada | US$85m | 3.4% |
| 8 |  France | US$83m | 3.4% |
| 9 | India | US$81m | 3.3% |
| 10 | Türkiye | US$80m | 3.3% |
The UK Global Tariff divides heading 6903 into 6 tariff lines; the duty is 4%.
In the EU Combined Nomenclature, heading 6903 covers 5 tariff lines and the duty is 5%.
The Turkish Customs Tariff Schedule divides heading 6903 into 12 tariff lines; the duty is 5%.
In the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, heading 6903 covers 3 tariff lines and the duty is duty-free.
The Customs Tariff of Canada divides heading 6903 into 3 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
In the Mexican Tariff (TIGIE), heading 6903 covers 7 tariff lines and the duty is duty-free.
The Brazilian Tariff (NCM/TEC) divides heading 6903 into 17 tariff lines; the duty is 9%.
In the Argentine Tariff (NCM-SIM), heading 6903 covers 17 tariff lines and the duty is 9%.
The Customs Tariff of Peru divides heading 6903 into 6 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
In the Working Tariff Document of New Zealand, heading 6903 covers 9 tariff lines and the duty is 5%.
The Customs Tariff Schedules of Japan divides heading 6903 into 3 tariff lines; the duty is 3.5%.
In the Customs Import Tariff of Taiwan, heading 6903 covers 13 tariff lines and the duty is between 6% and 10%.
The GCC Common Customs Tariff divides heading 6903 into 3 tariff lines; the duty is 5%.
In the Swiss Customs Tariff (Tares), heading 6903 covers 3 tariff lines and the duty is duty-free.
The Customs Tariff of Norway divides heading 6903 into 3 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
In the Customs Tariff of North Macedonia, heading 6903 covers 5 tariff lines and the duty is 3%.
The ECOWAS Common External Tariff (Nigeria) divides heading 6903 into 3 tariff lines; the duty is 20%.
In 2024, countries exported heading 6903 goods worth US$2bn (+0.2% year on year).
The largest exporter was China (US$490m), followed by the United States.
The biggest buyer was the United States, with imports of US$334m.
The United Kingdom ranked 9th among 116 exporters with US$105m.
The United Kingdom imported US$58m.
Legal notes
Notes
1. This chapter applies only to ceramic products which have been fired after shaping:
(a) headings 6904 to 6914 apply only to such products other than those classifiable in headings 6901 to 6903;
(b) articles heated to temperatures less than 800 °C for purposes such as curing of resins, accelerating hydration reactions, or for the removal of water or other volatile components, are not considered to be fired. Such articles are excluded from Chapter 69; and
(c) ceramic articles are obtained by firing inorganic, non-metallic materials which have been prepared and shaped previously at, in general, room temperature. Raw materials comprise, inter alia, clays, siliceous materials including fused silica, materials with a high melting point, such as oxides, carbides, nitrides, graphite or other carbon, and in some cases binders such as refractory clays or phosphates.
2. This chapter does not cover:
(a) products of heading 2844;
(b) articles of heading 6804;
(c) articles of Chapter 71 (for example, imitation jewellery);
(d) cermets of heading 8113;
(e) articles of Chapter 82;
(f) electrical insulators (heading 8546) or fittings of insulating material of heading 8547;
(g) artificial teeth (heading 9021);
(h) articles of Chapter 91 (for example, clocks and clock cases);
(ij) articles of Chapter 94 (for example, furniture, luminaires and lighting fittings, prefabricated buildings);
(k) articles of Chapter 95 (for example, toys, games and sports requisites);
(l) articles of heading 9606 (for example, buttons) or of heading 9614 (for example, smoking pipes); or
(m) articles of Chapter 97 (for example, works of art).
Products classified here
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for other refractory ceramic goods (for example, retorts, crucibles, muffles, nozzles, plugs, supports, cupels, tubes, pipes, sheaths, rods and slide gates), other than those of siliceous fossil meals or of similar siliceous earths?
Other refractory ceramic goods (for example, retorts, crucibles, muffles, nozzles, plugs, supports, cupels, tubes, pipes, sheaths, rods and slide gates), other than those of siliceous fossil meals or of similar siliceous earths fall under HS heading 6903, part of chapter 69, in section XIII of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on other refractory ceramic goods in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 6903 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 4%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
What is the import duty on other refractory ceramic goods in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 6903 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 5%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most other refractory ceramic goods?
China, with US$490m in 2024 (19.9% of world exports).