Rare Earth HS Codes
Rare-earth compounds cluster under a single subheading, 2846.90, which China splits into 38 eight-digit codes covering NdPr oxide, dysprosium oxide and the rest.
Trade volumes cover Jul 2025 – Jun 2026, from China customs official statistics.
Full rare earth 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 | MFN duty | Import status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2805.3010 CN subheadings | Rare-earth metals, scandium and yttrium, whether or not intermixed or interalloyedRare earths in metallic form; exports are licence-controlled | 112 t$10m | 9.7 kt$187m | — | — |
| 2846.104 CN subheadings | Cerium compounds | 1.0 kt$11m | 15.2 kt$30m | — | — |
| 2846.9037 CN subheadings | Compounds of rare-earth metals, of yttrium or of scandium, other than ceriumCovers 38 Chinese 8-digit subheadings — NdPr oxide, dysprosium oxide and the rest | 85.2 kt$2.04bn | 35.6 kt$412m | — | — |
MFN 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.
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 rare earth
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 Jul 2025 – Jun 2026: HS 2846.90, 85.2 kt.