Copper HS Codes
Thirty-five HS subheadings cover copper, from concentrate to foil. Cathode (7403.11) and scrap (7404.00) carry the largest import volumes.
Trade volumes cover Oct 2025 – Sep 2026, from China customs official statistics.
Full copper HS code list
Six-digit codes are the WCO international standard and identical worldwide. Tonnage is China’s actual customs-recorded trade for each code.
| HS code | Description | Imports | Exports | Import duty | Import status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2603.00 | Copper ores and concentratesPriced via TC/RC; the largest single import block by volume. Requires an automatic import licence (code 7) plus an entry clearance form (A) — the only concentrate in this group that needs a licence; zinc, lead and nickel ore do not. | 29.65 Mt$107.07bn | 5.5 kt$16m | 0% | — |
| 7402.00 | Unrefined copper; copper anodes for electrolytic refining | 800.0 kt$11.10bn | 10 t$319k | 0%MFN 2%Export 30% | — |
| 7403.113 CN subheadings | Refined copper cathodes and sections of cathodesThe benchmark import item. China splits it into 7403.11.11 / .19 / .90 — there is no 7403.11.00. Imports pay the 0% provisional rate. Export duty is tiered: 10% provisional for 7403.11.19 / .90; 7403.11.11 (Cu > 99.9935%) carries the full 30% except high-purity cathode (0% at 99.9999%+, 5% between 99.9935% and 99.9999%). | 2.94 Mt$37.26bn | 762.0 kt$9.27bn | 0%MFN 2%Export 30%（部分暂定 0~10%） | — |
| 7403.12 | Refined copper wire-bars | 4.9 kt$64m | 5 t$86k | 0%MFN 2%Export 30%（暂定 10%） | — |
| 7403.13 | Refined copper billets | 9.4 kt$122m | — | 0%MFN 2%Export 30%（暂定 10%） | — |
| 7403.19 | Other refined copper, unwrought | 513.3 kt$6.54bn | 36 t$584k | 0%MFN 2%Export 30%（暂定 10%） | — |
| 7403.21 | Copper-zinc base alloys (brass), unwrought | 170.0 kt$1.37bn | 34 t$294k | 1%Export 30%（暂定 5%） | — |
| 7403.22 | Copper-tin base alloys (bronze), unwrought | 26.1 kt$285m | 4 t$52k | 1%Export 30%（暂定 5%） | — |
| 7403.29 | Other copper alloys, unwrought | 225.9 kt$2.09bn | 50 t$1m | 1%Export 30%（暂定 5%） | — |
| 7404.00 | Copper waste and scrapMaterial meeting the national recycled-copper standards imports freely as a product, not as waste. Non-compliant material is banned. Recycled copper and copper-alloy raw material pays the 0% provisional rate, not the 1.5% MFN rate. Admissibility turns on which 10-digit subheading it is declared under — see below. The old standard-numbered lines 7404.00.00.20 / .30 were retired in 2025; .40 / .50 replaced them.✓7404000050Importable recycled copper raw material✓7404000040Importable recycled copper alloy raw material (blocks, turnings)✕7404000090Other copper waste and scrap✕7404000010Waste electric motors and similar, mainly for copper recovery | 2.52 Mt$27.15bn | 119 t$1m | 0%MFN 1.5%Export 30%（暂定 15%） | Conditional |
| 7405.00 | Master alloys of copper | 399 t$14m | 549 t$10m | 4% | — |
| 7407.102 CN subheadings | Bars, rods and profiles of refined copper | 4.5 kt$65m | 20.5 kt$290m | 4%Export 30%（暂定 0%） | — |
| 7407.213 CN subheadings | Bars, rods and profiles of copper-zinc base alloys (brass) | 27.9 kt$258m | 6.4 kt$62m | 7%Export 30%（暂定 0%） | — |
| 7407.29 | Bars, rods and profiles of other copper alloys | 1.4 kt$37m | 5.1 kt$90m | 7%Export 30%（暂定 0%） | — |
| 7408.11 | Wire of refined copper, maximum cross-sectional dimension > 6 mm | 42.1 kt$518m | 163.9 kt$2.15bn | 4%Export 30%（暂定 0%） | — |
| 7408.19 | Other wire of refined copper | 29.4 kt$457m | 120.9 kt$1.83bn | 4%2% provisional for oxygen < 5 ppmExport 30%（暂定 0%） | — |
| 7408.21 | Wire of copper-zinc base alloys (brass) | 6.1 kt$72m | 13.3 kt$141m | 7%Export 30%（暂定 0%） | — |
| 7408.222 CN subheadings | Wire of copper-nickel (cupro-nickel) or copper-nickel-zinc (nickel silver) base alloys | 218 t$9m | 2.3 kt$33m | 8%Export 30%（暂定 0%） | — |
| 7408.29 | Wire of other copper alloys | 1.3 kt$34m | 6.4 kt$98m | 7%Export 30%（暂定 0%） | — |
| 7409.112 CN subheadings | Plates, sheets and strip of refined copper, in coils, thickness > 0.15 mm | 23.0 kt$349m | 78.4 kt$1.10bn | 4%Export 30%（暂定 0%） | — |
| 7409.19 | Other plates, sheets and strip of refined copper, thickness > 0.15 mm | 3.9 kt$59m | 15.6 kt$222m | 4%Export 30%（暂定 0%） | — |
| 7409.21 | Plates, sheets and strip of copper-zinc base alloys (brass), in coils | 20.6 kt$248m | 23.3 kt$251m | 7%Export 30%（暂定 0%） | — |
| 7409.29 | Other plates, sheets and strip of copper-zinc base alloys (brass) | 359 t$6m | 2.6 kt$28m | 7%Export 30%（暂定 0%） | — |
| 7409.31 | Plates, sheets and strip of copper-tin base alloys (bronze), in coils | 7.4 kt$115m | 9.5 kt$160m | 7%Export 30%（暂定 0%） | — |
| 7409.39 | Other plates, sheets and strip of copper-tin base alloys (bronze) | 11 t$8m | 568 t$10m | 7%Export 30%（暂定 0%） | — |
| 7409.40 | Plates, sheets and strip of copper-nickel or copper-nickel-zinc base alloys | 13.4 kt$219m | 7.9 kt$128m | 7%Export 30%（暂定 0%） | — |
| 7409.90 | Plates, sheets and strip of other copper alloys | 11.2 kt$202m | 4.6 kt$79m | 7%Export 30%（暂定 0%） | — |
| 7410.11 | Copper foil of refined copper, not backed, thickness ≤ 0.15 mmBattery-grade and CCL copper foil fall here | 89.2 kt$1.88bn | 77.0 kt$1.20bn | 4% | — |
| 7410.122 CN subheadings | Copper foil of copper alloys, not backed, thickness ≤ 0.15 mm | 14.3 kt$345m | 8.3 kt$150m | 7% | — |
| 7410.212 CN subheadings | Copper foil of refined copper, backed, thickness ≤ 0.15 mm | 44.7 kt$1.90bn | 102.5 kt$1.30bn | 4% | — |
| 7410.222 CN subheadings | Copper foil of copper alloys, backed, thickness ≤ 0.15 mm | 49 t$4m | 163 t$8m | 7% | — |
| 7411.104 CN subheadings | Tubes and pipes of refined copper | 25.3 kt$356m | 249.9 kt$3.28bn | 4%2% provisional for oxygen < 5 ppm, OD ≤ 25 mm | — |
| 7411.212 CN subheadings | Tubes and pipes of copper-zinc base alloys (brass) | 872 t$17m | 10.5 kt$125m | 7% | — |
| 7411.22 | Tubes and pipes of copper-nickel or copper-nickel-zinc base alloys | 618 t$14m | 6.1 kt$97m | 7% | — |
| 7411.29 | Tubes and pipes of other copper alloys | 500 t$23m | 853 t$14m | 7% | — |
Where a provisional rate applies, the large figure is the rate actually paid and the MFN rate is shown beneath it. Rates are shown only where we have verified them; a dash means we have not confirmed the current rate, not that the rate is zero. Duty and regulatory status change — confirm against the current tariff schedule or a licensed broker before you declare.
Copper scrap HS code
Material meeting the national recycled-copper standards imports freely as a product, not as waste. Non-compliant material is banned. Recycled copper and copper-alloy raw material pays the 0% provisional rate, not the 1.5% MFN rate. Admissibility turns on which 10-digit subheading it is declared under — see below. The old standard-numbered lines 7404.00.00.20 / .30 were retired in 2025; .40 / .50 replaced them.
Six digits, eight digits, ten digits
The first six digits are the WCO Harmonized System and are the same in every member country. That is the number you quote to a counterparty abroad, and it is what this page lists.
China then extends each subheading to eight digits in its own tariff schedule, and to ten digits for the statistical code actually written on a customs declaration. The extension is not cosmetic: a single HS6 can split into codes with different duty rates and different regulatory conditions.
A worked example worth remembering — refined copper cathode is HS 7403.11 internationally, but 7403.11.00 does not exist in the Chinese schedule. The real codes are 7403.11.11, 7403.11.19 and 7403.11.90. Quoting a code you derived by appending zeros will return nothing at customs, silently.
Sourcing copper
Looking up a code usually means there is a shipment behind it. Guilin Metals lists verified Chinese suppliers, recyclers and traders by metal and by region, alongside live prices and monthly trade statistics.
HS codes for other metals
Classification guidance on this page is informational. Binding classification is the responsibility of the declarant; consult a licensed customs broker for shipments. Largest import line over Oct 2025 – Sep 2026: HS 2603.00, 29.65 Mt.