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U.S. imports of selenium (elemental) (HS 280490) totaled $753K in July 2026, traded with 14 countries.
Importers of Selenium (Elemental) paid $16K in duties in July 2026 — an effective duty rate of 15% on $108K in dutiable value, based on actual customs collections rather than the published tariff schedule. Selenium (Elemental) imports of $753K in July 2026 ran 40% below the year-to-date monthly average of $1.3M.
Last updated: July 2026 dataRecovered primarily as a by-product of copper refining, elemental selenium (2804900000) is a critical input for photovoltaic thin films (CIGS cells), xerographic drums, glass decolorization, and specialty alloys. The Philippines and Mexico are the leading US import sources — both countries host major copper smelting operations where selenium is recovered from anode slimes — with Japan also a significant supplier. Selenium's by-product nature means global supply is tightly linked to copper production volumes rather than independent mining, creating price and availability volatility that procurement teams must manage. EPA TSCA reporting requirements apply, and certain selenium compounds carry additional hazard classifications.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
24 shipments/mo
Selenium is not mined as a primary product; it is recovered almost exclusively from the anode slimes generated during electrolytic copper refining. This means global selenium output is capped by copper smelting capacity and cannot be independently scaled in response to demand spikes — a structural constraint that makes it particularly sensitive to copper industry cycles.
Heading 280490 and its 10-digit line 2804900000 cover only elemental selenium in its pure form. Inorganic selenium compounds (e.g., sodium selenite, selenium dioxide) are classified elsewhere in Chapter 28, while organic selenium compounds fall in Chapter 29. Misclassifying a compound as elemental selenium is a common error; consult a licensed customs broker to confirm the correct heading.
HSChapter 28
Subheading 8 of 11 in heading 2804
Subheading 280490 · $753K of $79.4M
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2804900000 | Selenium | $753K | 2.15% | 14.39% | $16K |
HS10 export codes under this HS6 parent, each with its own page. Source: U.S. Schedule B export classification.
| Code | Description | Export Value |
|---|---|---|
| 2804900000 | Selenium | $214K |
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
$753KYoY · Pro
Exports
$214KYoY · Pro
12-mo low · imports
YoY · ProThrough July 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Imports · July 2026
origin
India and Japan together supply 54% of it.
customs district
destination
entry
rate provision · imports
84.1% enters free of duty; the effective duty rate is 2.15%.