U.S. exports of Clays (Other), Including Ball Clays and Fuller's Earth (Including Calcined) (HS 250840) totaled $10.7M in August 2026.
Importers of Clays (Other), Including Ball Clays and Fuller's Earth (Including Calcined) paid $51K in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 7.64% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule. Clays (Other), Including Ball Clays and Fuller's Earth (Including Calcined) imports of $673K in August 2026 ran 38% above the year-to-date monthly average of $488K.
Last updated: August 2026 dataThree commercially distinct materials share this heading: ball clays (2508400110), prized for their plasticity and fired whiteness in sanitaryware and floor tile; decolorizing earths and fuller's earth (2508400120), used in edible oil refining and industrial bleaching; and residual clays not elsewhere classified (2508400150). Spain leads US import supply, with Canada and Germany also significant. Fuller's earth in particular serves as a critical processing aid in vegetable oil and petroleum refining, and its activation state (acid-activated vs. natural) is a key commercial specification.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
70 import shipments a month
Ball clay is distinguished by its high plasticity, fine particle size, and organic matter content, which give it a dark unfired color that fires to near-white. Supplier certificates stating mineralogical composition (predominantly kaolinite with illite and smectite), particle size distribution, and plasticity index (Atterberg limits) are the most useful supporting documents for CBP classification review.
Both natural and acid-activated fuller's earth are classified under 2508400120 within this heading, as the activation process does not move the product to a different tariff provision. However, heavily processed or chemically modified absorbent clays may in some cases be reclassified under Chapter 38 as prepared adsorbents; importers should consult a licensed customs broker when the degree of chemical treatment is significant.
Subheading 2 of 6 in heading 2508
Subheading 250840 · $10.7M of $33.4M
ImportsExports
Imports
$673KYoY · free account
Exports
$10.7MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $6.1M of Clays (Other), Including Ball Clays and Fuller's Earth (Including Calcined) and exported $149.2M.
Through August 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2508400150 | Clays, NESOI | $653K | 7.51% | 75.58% | $49K |
| 2508400110 | Common Blue Clay and Other Ball Clays | $20K | 11.69% | 100.00% | $2K |
| 2508400120 | Decolorizing Earths and Fuller's Earth Incl Calcnd | — | -- | -- | -- |
HS10 export codes under this HS6 parent, each with its own page. Source: U.S. Schedule B export classification.
| Code | Description | Export Value |
|---|---|---|
| 2508400150 | Clays, NESOI | $6.0M |
| 2508400120 | Decolorizing Earths and Fuller's Earth Incl Calcnd | $3.5M |
| 2508400110 | Common Blue Clay and Other Ball Clays | $1.2M |
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
customs district
origin
entry
rate provision · imports
23.7% enters free of duty; duty collected equals 7.64% of imports for consumption.