Sodium lauryl ether sulphate Hs Code

Sodium lauryl ether sulphate harmonized system code

Product Overview Sodium lauryl ether sulphate (SLES), classified under HS Code 340239, is an anionic surfactant widely utilized in various industrial and consumer applications. It is defined as the sodium salt of lauryl ether sulfate, typically presenting as a viscous, pale-yellow to amber liquid with a pH range of 7–9 (10% aqueous solution) and an active matter content between 28% and 70%. The product undergoes controlled ethoxylation to achieve specific degrees of ethoxylation (commonly 2–3 moles EO) that determine its detergency and foaming properties. Under HS Code 340239, SLES falls within the broader category of "Surface-active agents (other than soap); washing preparations (including auxiliary washing preparations) and cleaning preparations, put up for retail sale," specifically designated for ether sulfates. Subcategories differentiate based on concentration and form (liquid or powder) for precise customs classification. Its primary commercial applications span personal care (shampoos, body washes), household cleaning products, and industrial formulations. SLES is prized for its high foaming capacity, biodegradability, and cost-effectiveness, positioning it as a competitive raw material in global surfactant markets, facilitating efficient cleaning performance in formulated products. HS Code Classification & Trade Specifications The complete HS Code for sodium lauryl ether sulphate is 3402.39, structured hierarchically as Chapter 34 (Soap, organic surface-active agents, washing preparations, lubricating preparations, artificial waxes, prepared waxes, polishing or scouring preparations, candles and similar articles, modelling pastes, "dental waxes" and dental preparations with a basis of plaster), Heading 3402 (Organic surface-active agents, whether or not put up for retail sale, used for washing the skin, in the form of liquid or cream and preparations put up for retail sale), and Subheading 3402.39 (Other surface-active agents). This classification is based on the chemical nature and functional use of SLES as a surfactant distinct from soaps and other categories. Trade considerations involve packaging in polyethylene drums or intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) to ensure chemical stability, with preservation focused on moisture control and avoidance of contamination. Shipping typically adheres to UN regulations for non-hazardous liquids. Quality standards conform to ISO 9001 for manufacturing and comply with REACH and TSCA registrations where applicable. Analytical specifications include active matter content (28–70%), pH, appearance, and absence of heavy metals, ensuring compliance with WTO sanitary and phytosanitary measures and facilitating seamless customs clearance and import-export documentation.

Sodium lauryl ether sulphate 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.).