Hydraulic fluid & brake fluid Hs Code

Hydraulic fluid & brake fluid harmonized system code

Product Overview Hydraulic Fluid and Brake Fluid under HS Code 381900 comprise specialized chemical formulations primarily designed to transmit power in hydraulic systems and ensure optimal braking performance in automotive and industrial applications. These fluids are characterized by their precise physical properties, including viscosity indices typically ranging from 10 to 100 cSt at 40°C, high thermal stability, low compressibility, and resistance to oxidation and corrosion. Processing levels involve stringent purification and additive integration to enhance anti-wear, anti-foaming, and water tolerance capabilities. HS Code 381900 covers a range of subcategories such as hydraulic brake fluids, other liquid fluids for hydraulic transmission, and mixtures thereof, all chemically distinct from lubricating oils or fuels. Commercially, these fluids find extensive use in automotive brake systems, industrial hydraulic machinery, and precision equipment within manufacturing sectors, reflecting their critical role in ensuring safety and operational efficiency. Market positioning emphasizes compliance with international quality standards such as SAE J1703/J1704 for brake fluids and ISO 11158 for hydraulic fluids, providing reliable performance and compatibility across diverse mechanical systems. HS Code Classification & Trade Specifications The HS Code 381900 falls under Chapter 38 (Miscellaneous Chemical Products), Heading 3819 (Hydraulic brake fluids and other prepared liquids for hydraulic transmission), with the full 6-digit code 381900. This classification is warranted by the chemical nature and functional application of the fluids, distinguishing them from petroleum-based lubricants or other chemical preparations. Trade practices for these fluids typically involve packaging in sealed, corrosion-resistant containers such as steel drums or high-density polyethylene (HDPE) drums ranging from 20 to 200 liters, ensuring contamination prevention and compliance with international shipping regulations including IMDG for hazardous goods where applicable. Preservation methods focus on moisture exclusion and temperature-controlled storage to maintain fluid integrity, with water content usually maintained below 0.05% w/w. Quality standards adhered to include ISO 6743-4 for hydraulic fluids and DOT specifications for brake fluids, ensuring conformity with WTO agreements and facilitating smooth customs clearance. Documentation must accurately reflect chemical composition, batch traceability, and compliance certificates to support regulatory and trade compliance requirements globally.

Hydraulic fluid & brake fluid Chapter Note

1.- This Chapter does not cover : (a) Separate chemically defined elements or compounds with the exception of the following : (1) Artificial graphite (heading 38.01); (2) Insecticides, rodenticides, fungicides, herbicides, anti-sprouting products and plant-growth regulators, disinfectants and similar products, put up as described in heading 38.08; (3) Products put up as charges for fire-extinguishers or put up in fire-extinguishing grenades (heading 38.13); (4) Certified reference materials specified in Note 2 below; (5) Products specified in Note 3 (a) or 3 (c) below; (b) Mixtures of chemicals with foodstuffs or other substances with nutritive value, of a kind used in the preparation of human foodstuffs (generally heading 21.06); (c) Products of heading 24.04; (d) Slag, ash and residues (including sludges, other than sewage sludge), containing metals, arsenic or their mixtures and meeting the requirements of Note 3 (a) or 3 (b) to Chapter 26 (heading 26.20); (e) Medicaments (heading 30.03 or 30.04); or (f) Spent catalysts of a kind used for the extraction of base metals or for the manufacture of chemical compounds of base metals (heading 26.20), spent catalysts of a kind used principally for the recovery of precious metal (heading 71.12) or catalysts consisting of metals or metal alloys in the form of, for example, finely divided powder or woven gauze (Section XIV or XV). 2.- (A) For the purpose of heading 38.22, the expression “certified reference materials” means reference materials which are accompanied by a certificate which indicates the values of the certified properties, the methods used to determine these values and the degree of certainty associated with each value and which are suitable for analytical, calibrating or referencing purposes. (B) With the exception of the products of Chapter 28 or 29, for the classification of certified reference materials, heading 38.22 shall take precedence over any other heading in the Nomenclature. 3.- Heading 38.24 includes the following goods which are not to be classified in any other heading of the Nomenclature : (a) Cultured crystals (other than optical elements) weighing not less than 2.5 g each, of magnesium oxide or of the halides of the alkali or alkaline-earth metals; (b) Fusel oil; Dippel's oil; (c) Ink removers put up in packings for retail sale; (d) Stencil correctors, other correcting fluids and correction tapes (other than those of heading 96.12), put up in packings for retail sale; and (e) Ceramic firing testers, fusible (for example, Seger cones). 4.- Throughout the Nomenclature, “municipal waste” means waste of a kind collected from households, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, shops, offices, etc., road and pavement sweepings, as well as construction and demolition waste. Municipal waste generally contains a large variety of materials such as plastics, rubber, wood, paper, textiles, glass, metals, food materials, broken furniture and other damaged or discarded articles. The term “municipal waste”, however, does not cover : (a) Individual materials or articles segregated from the waste, for example wastes of plastics, rubber, wood, paper, textiles, glass or metals, electrical and electronic waste and scrap (including spent batteries) which fall in their appropriate headings of the Nomenclature; (b) Industrial waste;(c) Waste pharmaceuticals, as defined in Note 4 (k) to Chapter 30; or (d) Clinical waste, as defined in Note 6 (a) below. 5.- For the purposes of heading 38.25, “sewage sludge” means sludge arising from urban effluent treatment plant and includes pre-treatment waste, scourings and unstabilised sludge. Stabilised sludge when suitable for use as fertiliser is excluded (Chapter 31). 6.- For the purposes of heading 38.25, the expression “other wastes” applies to : (a) Clinical waste, that is, contaminated waste arising from medical research, diagnosis, treatment or other medical, surgical, dental or veterinary procedures, which often contain pathogens and pharmaceutical substances and require special disposal procedures (for example, soiled dressings, used gloves and used syringes); (b) Waste organic solvents; (c) Wastes of metal pickling liquors, hydraulic fluids, brake fluids and anti-freezing fluids; and (d) Other wastes from chemical or allied industries. The expression “other wastes” does not, however, cover wastes which contain mainly petroleum oils or oils obtained from bituminous minerals (heading 27.10). 7.- For the purposes of heading 38.26, the term “biodiesel” means mono-alkyl esters of fatty acids of a kind used as a fuel, derived from animal, vegetable or microbial fats and oils whether or not used.