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U.S. exports of methanol (methyl alcohol) (HS 290511) totaled $157.8M in July 2026.
Subheading 2 of 20 in heading 2905
Subheading 290511 · $19.7M of $145.5M
Importers of Methanol (Methyl Alcohol) paid $925K in duties in July 2026 — an effective duty rate of 13% on $7.0M in dutiable value, based on actual customs collections rather than the published tariff schedule. Methanol (Methyl Alcohol) imports of $19.7M in July 2026 ran 27% below the year-to-date monthly average of $26.9M.
Methanol is a foundational petrochemical feedstock used in the production of formaldehyde, acetic acid, MTBE, and biodiesel, as well as a direct fuel and wastewater denitrification agent — distinctions that the US tariff schedule captures through end-use-specific 10-digit lines (2905111000 for fuel use, 2905112010 for chemical production, 2905112015 for wastewater treatment, and 2905112085 for residual uses). Trinidad and Tobago is the dominant supplier to the US, reflecting its large-scale natural-gas-based methanol production capacity, with Canada a significant secondary source. Importers claiming the fuel-use or chemical-production lines must be prepared to substantiate end use through documentation, as CBP may require proof of the declared downstream application.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
251 shipments/mo
CBP may require a binding ruling or end-use certificate to substantiate classification under the chemical-production (2905112010) or wastewater-treatment (2905112015) lines. Importers typically provide purchase orders, downstream processing records, or facility descriptions demonstrating that the methanol will be consumed in the declared application. Failure to substantiate the end use can result in reclassification to the residual line (2905112085) with potential duty liability.
Trinidad and Tobago hosts some of the world's largest methanol production complexes, built around abundant and competitively priced natural gas reserves. This geographic concentration means US buyers are exposed to supply disruptions from Caribbean weather events, gas feedstock curtailments, or plant outages. Importers with large volume requirements often maintain secondary supply relationships with Canadian or other producers as a hedge against single-source risk.
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HS10 import codes under this HS6 parent, each with its own page. Source: U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
| Code | Description | Import Value | Effective Tariff % | Dutiable Share | Duty Collected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2905112010 | Methanol, Imp for Use in Chem Production | $19.5M | 4.70% | 35.35% | $916K |
| 2905112085 | Methanol (Methyl Alcohol), NESOI | $167K | 5.02% | 46.48% | $8K |
| 2905111000 | Methanol Only for Prod of Syn Fuel or Use As Fuel | $46K | 1.16% | 9.29% | $540 |
HS10 export codes under this HS6 parent, each with its own page. Source: U.S. Schedule B export classification.
| Code | Description | Export Value |
|---|---|---|
| 2905110000 | Methanol (Methyl Alcohol) | $157.8M |
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.
ImportsExports
Imports
$19.7MYoY · Pro
Exports
$157.8MYoY · Pro
12-mo low · imports
YoY · ProThrough July 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Exports · July 2026
destination
Netherlands and Belgium together take 57% of it.
customs district
origin
entry
rate provision · imports
64.6% enters free of duty; the effective duty rate is 4.69%.