China Export Rank #11

Raw Materials & Industrial Commodities

No production happens without raw materials. China is a major exporter of everything from rare earth elements to chemicals, metal ores to construction materials.

HS Codes

2501.00 Salt (sea salt, rock salt, table salt) and pure sodium chloride
2523.29 Other Portland cement
2804.69 Silicon (other, less than 99.99% purity by weight)
2818.20 Aluminum oxide (alumina, excluding artificial corundum)
7202.30 Ferro-silico-manganese
7403.11 Refined copper cathodes and cathode sections
7601.10 Unwrought aluminum, not alloyed
7901.11 Unwrought zinc, not alloyed, 99.99% or more by weight
2846.10 Rare earth (rare earth metals, scandium and yttrium) compounds
8104.11 Unwrought magnesium, containing at least 99.8% magnesium by weight

⚠️ HS codes are for reference only. Final classification depends on product specifics.

Key Manufacturing Regions

Baotou (Inner Mongolia)

Rare earth elements capital — 60% of world production

Tangshan (Hebei)

Steel raw materials — iron ore processing, coke, slab

Lianyungang (Jiangsu)

Chemical raw material import/export port — phosphate, sulfur, soda

Guangxi (Nanning/Liuzhou)

Aluminum and manganese — bauxite processing, alumina production

Zibo (Shandong)

Ceramic raw materials, refractory materials, clay, kaolin, feldspar

Quality Control Checklist

  1. 1.Chemical composition analysis — full elemental analysis via XRF or ICP-OES
  2. 2.Purity grade — compliance with specified minimum purity
  3. 3.Particle size distribution and moisture content
  4. 4.Certification — certificate of origin, analysis certificate, hazardous material declaration
  5. 5.Package suitability and marking — UN-approved packaging (if hazardous material)
  6. 6.Density and bulk density measurement
  7. 7.Trace element and heavy metal contamination
  8. 8.Thermal resistance and melting point (for metals and alloys)

⚠️ Common Pitfalls

  • •Purity ratio lower than specified — independent laboratory analysis is mandatory
  • •Inconsistent particle size — directly affects production process
  • •High moisture content shipment — especially in minerals and chemicals, causes weight loss and quality degradation
  • •Missing hazardous material packaging and labeling — customs rejection and penalties
  • •Products without certificate of origin — carries anti-dumping duty risk

💡 Pro Tips

  • •Arrange independent third-party loading supervision (SGS, Bureau Veritas) for every shipment
  • •Verify chemical composition using two different methods like XRF and ICP-OES
  • •For moisture-critical products, measure and report moisture at time of loading
  • •Never ship hazardous materials without MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet)
  • •Use price indexing mechanisms (LME, SHFE) in long-term supply agreements to protect against market fluctuations

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