Residual Lyes from Wood Pulp Manufacture, Including Lignin Sulfonates

Residual lyes from kraft and sulfite pulping — including lignin sulfonic acid, its salts, and concentrated spent liquors — are widely used as dispersants, binders, and concrete admixtures, making them a commercially important byproduct stream from the forest products industry. The US schedule separates lignin sulfonic acid and its salts (3804001000) from other residual lyes (3804005000), a distinction that matters because lignosulfonates have well-established markets in construction chemicals and animal feed binders. Norway leads US supply, consistent with its large sulfite pulp industry, followed by Mexico and Canada. Imports from Canada may qualify for preferential treatment under USMCA, subject to rules-of-origin compliance.

AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.