Harmonized System
U.S. exports of supported catalysts with nickel or nickel compounds as the active substance (HS 381511) totaled $35.5M in August 2026.
Importers of Supported Catalysts with Nickel or Nickel Compounds as the Active Substance paid $452K in duties in August 2026, an effective tariff rate of 9.26% of the $4.9M imported — duty actually collected as a share of that value, not the published tariff schedule. Supported Catalysts with Nickel or Nickel Compounds as the Active Substance imports of $4.9M in August 2026 ran 31% above the year-to-date monthly average of $3.7M.
Last updated: August 2026 dataNickel-based supported catalysts are workhorses of industrial hydrogenation — used in edible-oil hardening, petrochemical refining, and specialty chemical synthesis — where nickel is dispersed on a carrier such as alumina, silica, or kieselguhr. Germany is the leading US import source for this heading, reflecting the concentration of advanced catalyst manufacturing in European chemical clusters, with India and Denmark also significant suppliers. Because this heading resolves to a single 10-digit line (3815110000), classification disputes typically turn on whether the active substance is metallic nickel or a nickel compound, and whether the product meets the 'supported' criterion versus a bulk nickel compound of Chapter 28.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
33 shipments/mo
A supported catalyst has nickel or a nickel compound deposited on or within an inert carrier material (such as alumina, silica, or carbon) that provides surface area and mechanical structure. Bulk nickel compounds without a carrier substrate are classified in Chapter 28. The physical form and the functional role of the carrier are the key classification criteria; a CBP binding ruling can resolve borderline cases.
Not necessarily. Spent catalysts that have lost their catalytic function may be reclassified as waste or residues of precious or base metals depending on their composition and intended use upon import. Importers should evaluate whether the material is being imported for reuse as a catalyst or for metal recovery, as the latter may trigger a different chapter classification and separate regulatory considerations.
HSChapter 38
ImportsExports
Imports
$4.9MYoY · free account
Exports
$35.5MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
YoY · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $53.0M of Supported Catalysts with Nickel or Nickel Compounds as the Active Substance.
Through August 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Trade Directory
List your company under HS 381511 — Supported Catalysts with Nickel or Nickel Compounds as the Active Substance, so the companies trading it can find you. Be the first supplier listed.
Subheading 4 of 4 in heading 3815
Subheading 381511 · $35.5M of $398.5M
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3815110000 | Supported Catalysts W Nickel/Nickel Compound Etc | $4.9M | 9.26% | 91.25% | $452K |
HS10 export codes under this HS6 parent, each with its own page. Source: U.S. Schedule B export classification.
| Code | Description | Export Value |
|---|---|---|
| 3815110000 | Supported Catalysts W Nickel/Nickel Compound Etc | $35.5M |
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.
Exports · August 2026
destination
customs district
origin
entry
rate provision · imports
8.8% enters free of duty; duty collected equals 9.26% of total import value.