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    2603.00.00

    Copper ores and concentrates

    This code covers copper ores and concentrates, used in the metallurgical industry for copper extraction. Importers should use this code when classifying these materials, noting a duty of 1.7¢/kg on lead content, with varying rates depending on trade agreements, as detailed within Chapter 26.

    Copper ores and concentrates

    Detailed information for HTS Code 2603.00.00

    This section of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule covers copper ores and concentrates, which are minerals used to extract copper in the metallurgical industry. The specific code 2603.00.00 is for all copper ores and concentrates, regardless of their composition. Subdivisions exist to report the content of copper, lead, zinc, silver, and gold within those ores and concentrates, and you must report the weight and value of each metal under the appropriate statistical suffix if present. When multiple metals are present, use multiple statistical suffixes to accurately report each metal's weight and value.

    ChapterChapter 26 - Ores, slag and ash
    SectionSection V - Mineral Products

    Duty snapshot

    Quick reference for the duty outcomes tied to this HTS line.

    General Duty

    1.7¢/kg on lead content

    Standard trade partners (NTR)

    Special Duty

    Free (A,AU,BH,CL,CO,D,E,IL,JO,KR,MA,OM,P,PA,PE,S,SG)

    Eligible FTA or preference programs

    The general duty rate for 2603.00.00 (Copper ores and concentrates) is 1.7¢/kg on lead content, applying to all shipments unless eligible for a special rate. Several countries (A, AU, BH, CL, CO, D, E, IL, JO, KR, MA, OM, P, PA, PE, S, SG) qualify for free duty under specific Free Trade Agreements or preference programs. Reporting units for duty calculation are Ag g, Au g, Cu kg, Pb kg, and Zn kg, and these same units are used to report the metal content for each subdivision (2603.00.00.10 - .50) to determine applicable duties; if a shipment contains multiple reported metals, multiple ten-digit subdivisions must be used to report weight and value. There is no specified duty rate beyond the general and special rates described.

    Rate of Duty (Column 2): 8.8¢/kg on copper content + 3.3¢/kg on lead content + 3.7¢/kg on zinc content

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    Code subdivisions

    2603.00.00.10

    Copper ores and concentrates > Copper content

    2603.00.00.20

    Copper ores and concentrates > Lead content

    2603.00.00.30

    Copper ores and concentrates > Zinc content

    2603.00.00.40

    Copper ores and concentrates > Silver content

    2603.00.00.50

    Copper ores and concentrates > Gold content

    Chapter & section notes

    Chapter notes

    Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States Revision 29 (2025) Annotated for Statistical Reporting Purposes CHAPTER 26 ORES, SLAG AND ASH V 26-1 Notes 1. This chapter does not cover: (a) Slag or similar industrial waste prepared as macadam (heading 2517); (b) Natural magnesium carbonate (magnesite), whether or not calcined (heading 2519); (c) Sludges from the storage tanks of petroleum oils, consisting mainly of such oils (heading 2710); (d) Basic slag of chapter 31; (e) Slag wool, rock wool or similar mineral wools (heading 6806); (f) Waste or scrap of precious metal or of metal clad with precious metal; other waste or scrap containing precious metal or precious metal compounds, of a kind used principally for the recovery of precious metal (heading 7112 or 8549); or (g) Copper, nickel or cobalt mattes produced by any process of smelting (section XV). 2. For the purposes of headings 2601 to 2617, the term "ores" means minerals of mineralogical species actually used in the metallurgical industry for the extraction of mercury, of the metals of heading 2844 or of the metals of section XIV or XV, even if they are intended for non-metallurgical purposes. Headings 2601 to 2617 do not, however, include minerals which have been submitted to processes not normal to the metallurgical industry. 3. Heading 2620 applies only to: (a) Slag, ash and residues of a kind used in industry either for the extraction of metals or as a basis for the manufacture of chemical compounds of metals, excluding ash and residues from the incineration of municipal waste (heading 2621); and (b) Slag, ash and residues containing arsenic, whether or not containing metals, of a kind used either for the extraction of arsenic or metals or for the manufacture of their chemical compounds. Subheading Notes 1. For the purposes of subheading 2620.21.00, "leaded gasoline sludges and leaded anti-knock compound sludges" means sludges obtained from storage tanks of leaded gasoline and leaded anti-knock compounds (for example, tetraethyl lead), and consisting essentially of lead, lead compounds and iron oxide. 2. Slag, ash and residues containing arsenic, mercury, thallium or their mixtures, of a kind used for the extraction of arsenic or those metals or for the manufacture of their chemical compounds, are to be classified in subheading 2620.60. Additional U.S. Notes 1. The specific rates of duty imposed under the headings of this chapter on the metal content of ores and other materials shall apply to the assay quantity of metal contained therein, whether recovered as metals, as alloys or as chemical compounds or used directly in the manufacture of articles, except that with respect to ores or other materials provided for in this chapter which are subject to duty at specific rates on their copper, lead or zinc content, an absolute deduction for losses of 18 kg per dry metric ton from the respective quantities of each of such metal contents shall be allowed. 2. When the classification of imported materials under any provision of this chapter is dependent on the percentage of metal content, such percentage shall be the ratio of the total quantity of the respective metal content to the total quantity of imported material when computed on a dry-weight basis; i.e., free of all uncombined moisture. Statistical Notes 1. The quantity of metal content to be reported shall be the assay quantity without deductions. 2. For the purposes of subheading 2601.11.0060, the term "coarse" refers to iron ores with a majority of individual particles having a diameter exceeding 4.75 mm. Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States Revision 29 (2025) Annotated for Statistical Reporting Purposes V 26-2 Statistical Notes (con.) 3. For the purposes of any of the ten-digit statistical reporting numbers appearing under the eight-digit subheadings 2603.00.00, 2604.00.00, 2607.00.00, 2608.00.00, 2616.10.00, 2616.90.00, 2620.19.60, 2620.21.00, 2620.29.00 or 2620.30.00, and the ten-digit statistical reporting numbers 2620.99.7560 and 2620.99.7580 for the eight-digit subheading specifying that a named metal content is to be reported, the weight and value of such metal contained in any shipment of the ores, concentrates, slag, ash or residues entered under such subheading shall be reported under each applicable statistical reporting number. If a product covered by one of these provisions includes more than one of the named metals, it would be necessary to enter multiple ten-digit subheadings with the weight and value of each metal indicated under the appropriate ten-digit subheading. Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States Revision 29 (2025) Annotated for Statistical Reporting Purposes V 26-3

    Section notes

    SECTION V MINERAL PRODUCTS V-1 Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States Revision 29 (2025) Annotated for Statistical Reporting Purposes V-2 Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States Revision 29 (2025) Annotated for Statistical Reporting Purposes

    Latest update

    Last updated

    November 15, 2025

    Revised every January & July

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