Heading 3825

Residual products of the chemical or allied industries, not elsewhere specified or included; municipal waste; sewage sludge; other wastes specified in note 6 to this chapter

9 declarable lines

Heading 3825 covers residual products of the chemical or allied industries that are not specified elsewhere, plus municipal waste, sewage sludge and the other wastes listed in note 6 to chapter 38. It is split first by the type of waste stream: municipal, sewage, clinical, waste organic solvents, and specific liquid wastes such as pickling liquors and brake fluids. A final group covers other chemical industry wastes, divided by whether they mainly contain organic constituents, with a basket line for the remainder.

Products in this heading

Household and commercial garbage collected by a municipality
Dewatered sewage sludge from a treatment plant
Used halogenated solvents such as spent degreasing solvents
Surgical and other clinical waste from hospitals and clinics
Spent brake fluid and used anti-freeze fluid
Waste metal-pickling liquors from a plating line
Spent hydraulic fluid collected from machinery
Filter cake and other organic chemical process waste

How to choose the right subheading

Identify the waste stream first: municipal waste, sewage sludge, clinical waste, waste organic solvents, or chemical industry waste.
For waste organic solvents, check whether the solvent is halogenated or not, since that splits the heading.
For other chemical industry wastes, check whether the waste mainly contains organic constituents.
Check whether the waste is a listed liquid such as pickling liquor, hydraulic fluid, brake fluid or anti-freeze, which take their own line.
Check whether the material is separately collected for recycling, in which case another heading such as 3915 or 4707 may apply.

Often confused with

Separately collected plastic scrap and regrind
Plastic waste and scrap has its own heading and is classified by polymer type.
Heading 3915
Recovered paper and paperboard collected for recycling
Recovered paper is classified in chapter 47, not as a chemical waste.
Heading 4707
Ash and residues from municipal waste incinerators
Slag and ash are classified in chapter 26 even when they come from waste treatment.
Heading 2621
Spent activated carbon
Activated carbon, including spent material, is named in heading 3802.
Heading 3802
Waste pharmaceutical products
Waste pharmaceuticals have a specific place under the pharmaceutical goods heading.
Heading 3006

Frequently asked questions

What is the HTS code for sewage sludge?

Sewage sludge is classified under 3825.20.00.00. The general (MFN) rate for that code is Free.

What is the duty on clinical waste?

Clinical waste falls under 3825.30.00.00. Its general (MFN) rate is Free.

How do I classify waste organic solvents?

Halogenated waste organic solvents go in 3825.41.00.00 and other waste organic solvents go in 3825.49.00.00. Both codes carry a general (MFN) rate of Free.

Guide written from the official schedule text. Rates quoted are general (MFN) rates; check the line page for trade agreement rates and the classification of your exact product.