U.S. exports of Boron & Tellurium (HS 280450) totaled $1.5M in August 2026.
Importers of Boron & Tellurium paid $9K in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 1.08% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule. Boron & Tellurium imports of $828K in August 2026 ran 57% above the year-to-date monthly average of $526K.
Last updated: August 2026 dataBoron and tellurium are classified together under heading 280450 but serve sharply different industrial purposes: boron is a key input for specialty glass, ceramics, and nuclear shielding, while tellurium is a critical material in thin-film photovoltaic cells and thermoelectric devices. The US schedule separates them at the 10-digit level — boron under 2804500010 and tellurium under 2804500020 — making correct classification essential for accurate duty and trade-remedy exposure assessment. Germany and Canada are the leading suppliers, though China also appears in the supply mix, raising supply-chain concentration considerations for tellurium given its critical-mineral status. Importers sourcing tellurium in particular should monitor any Section 301 exposure on Chinese-origin goods.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
14 import shipments a month
Classification depends on the chemical identity of the element: boron (atomic number 5) enters under 2804500010, while tellurium (atomic number 52) enters under 2804500020. Mixed or compound forms may fall outside heading 280450 entirely and require separate classification analysis.
Yes. The US government has designated tellurium as a critical mineral due to its concentrated global supply and its essential role in cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film solar panels and thermoelectric applications. Importers should track any trade-remedy or export-control developments affecting primary supplier countries.
ImportsExports
Imports
$828KYoY · free account
Exports
$1.5MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $6.0M of Boron & Tellurium and exported $15.2M.
Through August 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Subheading 6 of 11 in heading 2804
Subheading 280450 · $1.5M of $175.9M
HS10 import codes under this HS6 parent, each with its own page. Source: U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
| Code | Description | Imports for consumption | Average duty rate | Dutiable Share | Duty Collected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2804500020 | Tellurium | $507K | 0.00% | 0.00% | -- |
| 2804500010 | Boron | $321K | 2.79% | 7.45% | $9K |
HS10 export codes under this HS6 parent, each with its own page. Source: U.S. Schedule B export classification.
| Code | Description | Export Value |
|---|---|---|
| 2804500010 | Boron | $1.5M |
| 2804500020 | Tellurium | $21K |
Import lines come from the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule and export lines from Schedule B. The two are numbered by different agencies, so the same 10-digit code can appear in both tables describing a different product.
Trade Directory
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Exports · August 2026
destination
Israel and China together take 95% of it.
customs district
origin
entry
rate provision · imports
97.1% enters free of duty; duty collected equals 1.08% of imports for consumption.