Detergent - washing powder

Detergent - washing powder harmonized system code

Product Overview Detergent - Washing Powder classified under HS Code 340250 refers to powdered synthetic or semi-synthetic cleaning agents formulated primarily for laundering textiles and general-purpose cleaning. This product typically comprises surfactants, builders, enzymes, bleaching agents, and fillers, processed to achieve uniform granularity and dissolution rates. Physically, it presents as a free-flowing powder with moisture content generally below 5% to ensure stability and prevent caking. The 340250 classification encompasses various subcategories, including standard washing powders, compact formulations with enhanced concentration, and specialized variants targeting hard water conditions or specific fabric care requirements. Commercially, these powders are utilized extensively in domestic laundry, institutional laundries (hotels, hospitals), and industrial textile processing, providing effective soil removal, stain treatment, and fabric whitening. Their market positioning emphasizes cost-efficiency, formulation consistency, and compliance with environmental regulations, delivering reliable performance aligned with international quality standards. HS Code Classification & Trade Specifications The full HS Code for Detergent - Washing Powder is 340250, where Chapter 34 designates “Soap; organic surface-active products,” Heading 3402 specifies “Organic surface-active agents (other than soap), and preparations thereof, for use as detergents, put up for retail sale,” and Subheading 340250 identifies “Synthetic organic detergents in the form of powders.” This classification is based on the product’s chemical composition, physical state, and intended use as a detergent, differentiating it from liquid or bar-form detergents. Trade considerations include packaging in moisture-resistant, multi-layered polyethylene or laminated paper bags ranging from 1 kg to 25 kg to maintain product integrity during transit. Preservation methods focus on humidity control and avoidance of temperature extremes to prevent degradation of enzymatic components. Shipping typically adheres to international regulations such as the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code when applicable, although detergent powders are generally non-hazardous. Quality standards often correspond to ISO 9001 for manufacturing and OECD guidelines for environmental safety, ensuring compliance with WTO trade facilitation agreements and customs documentation protocols.

Detergent - washing powder Chapter Note

1.- This Chapter does not cover : (a) Edible mixtures or preparations of animal, vegetable or microbial fats or oils of a kind used as mould release preparations (heading 15.17); (b) Separate chemically defined compounds; or (c) Shampoos, dentifrices, shaving creams and foams, or bath preparations, containing soap or other organic surface-active agents (heading 33.05, 33.06 or 33.07). 2.- For the purposes of heading 34.01, the expression “soap” applies only to soap soluble in water. Soap and the other products of heading 34.01 may contain added substances (for example, disinfectants, abrasive powders, fillers or medicaments). Products containing abrasive powders remain classified in heading 34.01 only if in the form of bars, cakes or moulded pieces or shapes. In other forms they are to be classified in heading 34.05 as “scouring powders and similar preparations”. 3.- For the purposes of heading 34.02, “organic surface-active agents” are products which when mixed with water at a concentration of 0.5 % at 20 C and left to stand for one hour at the same temperature : (a) give a transparent or translucent liquid or stable emulsion without separation of insoluble matter; and (b) reduce the surface tension of water to 4.5 x 10-2 N/m (45 dyne/cm) or less. 4.- In heading 34.03 the expression “petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals” applies to the products defined in Note 2 to Chapter 27. 5.- In heading 34.04, subject to the exclusions provided below, the expression “artificial waxes and prepared waxes” applies only to : (a) Chemically produced organic products of a waxy character, whether or not water-soluble; (b) Products obtained by mixing different waxes; (c) Products of a waxy character with a basis of one or more waxes and containing fats, resins, mineral substances or other materials. The heading does not apply to : (a) Products of heading 15.16, 34.02 or 38.23, even if having a waxy character; (b) Unmixed animal waxes or unmixed vegetable waxes, whether or not refined or coloured, of heading 15.21; (c) Mineral waxes or similar products of heading 27.12, whether or not intermixed or merely coloured; or (d) Waxes mixed with, dispersed in or dissolved in a liquid medium (headings 34.05, 38.09, etc.).