U.S. imports of Activated Carbon (SITC 59864) totaled $28.7M in August 2026, imported from 32 countries.
Importers of Activated Carbon paid $3.8M in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 13.73% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule. Activated Carbon imports of $28.7M in August 2026 ran 16% above the year-to-date monthly average of $24.8M.
Last updated: August 2026 dataActivated carbon is a high-surface-area adsorbent material produced by carbonizing and activating organic precursors such as coal, coconut shell, or wood, with the choice of raw material and activation method determining pore structure and performance. It serves as a critical input across water treatment, air purification, gold recovery, and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Importers should be aware that certain activated carbon products originating from China have been subject to antidumping duty orders, making origin documentation and scope rulings a routine compliance concern.
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525 import shipments a month
Yes. Certain activated carbon from China has been subject to antidumping duty orders for an extended period. Importers should verify the current scope of those orders and obtain appropriate scope rulings when the product's specifications are near the boundary of covered merchandise.
Activated carbon derived from coconut shell typically yields microporous structures suited to gas-phase and potable-water applications, while coal-based grades offer broader pore distributions favored in industrial wastewater treatment. These physical distinctions can affect both the applicable HTS subheading and the product's fitness for regulated end uses such as drinking-water filtration.
Basic heading 136 of 465 in section 5
Basic heading 59864 · $28.7M of $27.5B
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Imports · August 2026
origin
India and Sri Lanka together supply 51% of it. China pays 42.3% duty; Canada 0.7%.
customs district
Census does not publish district detail for this classification system.
destination
Census does not publish state detail for this classification system.
entry
Census does not publish port detail for this classification system.
ImportsExports
Imports
$28.7MYoY · free account
Exports
$29.0MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $283.5M of Activated Carbon and exported $448.8M.
Through August 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.