U.S. exports of Natural Bitumen & Asphalt; Asphaltites & Asphaltic Rocks (SITC 27897) totaled $2.5M in August 2026.
Importers of Natural Bitumen & Asphalt; Asphaltites & Asphaltic Rocks paid $10K in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 3.49% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule. Natural Bitumen & Asphalt; Asphaltites & Asphaltic Rocks imports of $301K in August 2026 ran 89% below the year-to-date monthly average of $2.7M.
Last updated: August 2026 dataNaturally occurring bitumen, asphalt, asphaltites such as gilsonite, and asphaltic rocks are mineral-origin materials distinct from petroleum-derived bitumen produced in refineries. Gilsonite — a solid, naturally occurring asphaltite mined primarily in the Uinta Basin of Utah — is the most commercially significant product in this heading for US trade, valued for its use as a drilling-fluid additive, ink pigment binder, and asphalt modifier. Import activity under this heading tends to be limited given US domestic production, but specialty grades from specific geological deposits can command premium pricing based on softening point, solubility, and nitrogen content.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
20 import shipments a month
Natural asphalt and bitumen occur in geological deposits without industrial refining — they are extracted as mineral substances. Petroleum-derived bitumen is a refinery residual product and classified under petroleum headings. The key documentation for customs purposes is evidence of geological origin (mine or deposit source) rather than a refinery production record.
Gilsonite and similar asphaltites serve several niche industrial markets: oil and gas drilling (as a shale-stabilizing additive in drilling muds), printing inks (as a carbon-black extender and binder), foundry sand binders, and high-performance asphalt modification. Each application may require different softening-point and solubility specifications, so buyers typically negotiate grade parameters directly with suppliers before shipment.
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ImportsExports
Imports
$301KYoY · free account
Exports
$2.5MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $31.3M of Natural Bitumen & Asphalt; Asphaltites & Asphaltic Rocks and exported $32.2M.
Through August 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Exports · August 2026
destination
Canada and Guyana together take 55% of it.
customs district
Census does not publish district detail for this classification system.
origin
Census does not publish state detail for this classification system.
entry
Census does not publish port detail for this classification system.
Basic heading 108 of 239 in section 2
Basic heading 27897 · $2.5M of $7.8B