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SITCSection 6
U.S. imports of cobalt mattes, unwrought cobalt, waste, scrap & powders (SITC 68981) totaled $50.8M in July 2026, traded with 30 countries.
Importers of Cobalt Mattes, Unwrought Cobalt, Waste, Scrap & Powders paid $99K in duties in July 2026 — an effective duty rate of 4.8% on $2.1M in dutiable value, based on actual customs collections rather than the published tariff schedule.
Last updated: July 2026 dataCobalt in its primary and intermediate metallurgical forms — mattes, unwrought metal, waste, scrap, and powders — is a designated critical mineral whose supply chain is heavily concentrated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for ore and China for refined product, creating significant concentration risk for US battery, superalloy, and hard-metal manufacturers. The breadth of this heading, spanning crude metallurgical intermediates through fine powders, means that particle size, purity grade, and processing stage all influence correct classification. Section 301 tariff exposure on Chinese-origin cobalt products is an active consideration that importers should evaluate at the line level.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
101 shipments/mo
Basic heading 116 of 766 in section 6
Basic heading 68981 · $50.8M of $26.7B
Both unwrought cobalt and cobalt powders fall within this SITC heading, but at the HTS level they may be assigned to distinct tariff lines with different duty rates and trade-remedy applicability. Importers should confirm the specific physical form — particle size, production method, and purity — with their supplier and verify the correct 10-digit HTS code with a licensed customs broker.
Cobalt supply is highly concentrated geographically, with refining capacity heavily weighted toward a small number of countries. This concentration, combined with potential Section 301 tariff exposure on certain origins, means that price volatility, geopolitical disruption, and tariff changes can compound simultaneously. Diversifying sourcing and maintaining visibility into upstream smelter origins are standard risk-management practices in this market.
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Imports · July 2026
origin
Norway and Canada together supply 48% of it.
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
$50.8MYoY · Pro
Exports
$17.6MYoY · Pro
12-mo low · imports
YoY · ProThrough July 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.