U.S. imports of Natural Borates & Concentrates; Natural Boric Acid (HS 252800) totaled $1.0M in August 2026, imported from 11 countries.
Importers of Natural Borates & Concentrates; Natural Boric Acid paid $75K in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 7.23% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule. Natural Borates & Concentrates; Natural Boric Acid imports of $1.0M in August 2026 ran 41% below the year-to-date monthly average of $1.8M.
Last updated: August 2026 dataTurkey dominates global supply of natural borates — a position reflected in US import flows under this heading — with Bolivia and Peru serving as secondary Western Hemisphere sources. The heading spans five 10-digit tariff lines distinguishing sodium borates (calcined and uncalcined), calcium borates, and other natural borates and boric acid (NESOI), making precise chemical identification critical at entry. Borates are strategic inputs for glass fiber, ceramics, agriculture, and nuclear applications, and importers should confirm whether their specific product is calcined or not, as that distinction drives line-level classification.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
17 import shipments a month
The US schedule separates natural sodium borates and their concentrates that have not been calcined (2528000005 / 2528001000) from those that have undergone calcination. Calcination changes the chemical structure and water content of the mineral, so importers must confirm the thermal processing history of their product with the supplier and document it on the commercial invoice to support correct line-level classification.
Turkey holds the world's largest known reserves of borate minerals, giving Turkish producers a structural cost and volume advantage. This concentration means US importers of natural borates face meaningful single-country supply risk; disruptions in Turkish export policy or logistics can have outsized effects on availability and pricing.
ImportsExports
Imports
$1.0MYoY · free account
Exports
$211KYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $22.2M of Natural Borates & Concentrates; Natural Boric Acid and exported $3.1M.
Through August 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Subheading 1 of 1 in heading 2528
Subheading 252800 · $1.0M of $1.0M
Trade Directory
List your company under HS 252800 — Natural Borates & Concentrates; Natural Boric Acid, so the companies trading it can find you. Be the first supplier listed.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2528000050 | Natural Borates & Natural Boric Acid, NESOI | $545K | 2.76% | 25.54% | $15K |
| 2528000005 | Natural Sodium Borates & Concentrates Thereof | $458K | 12.14% | 100.00% | $56K |
| 2528000010 | Natural Calcium Borates | $37K | 12.50% | 100.00% | $5K |
HS10 export codes under this HS6 parent, each with its own page. Source: U.S. Schedule B export classification.
| Code | Description | Export Value |
|---|---|---|
| 2528001000 | Natural Sodium Borates & Concentrates W/T Calcined | $123K |
| 2528009000 | Natural Borates and Natural Boric Acid NESOI | $88K |
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.
Imports · August 2026
origin
Turkey and Bolivia together supply 82% of it. Turkey pays 12.5% duty; Bolivia 0.0%.
customs district
entry
rate provision · imports
39.0% enters free of duty; duty collected equals 7.23% of imports for consumption.