U.S. exports of Denatured Ethyl Alcohol and Other Denatured Spirits (SITC 51216) totaled $342.4M in August 2026.
Importers of Denatured Ethyl Alcohol and Other Denatured Spirits paid $93K in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 22.50% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule. Denatured Ethyl Alcohol and Other Denatured Spirits imports of $415K in August 2026 ran 27% below the year-to-date monthly average of $567K.
Last updated: August 2026 dataDenatured ethyl alcohol — ethanol rendered unfit for beverage use by the addition of approved denaturants — is the workhorse solvent of the industrial chemicals sector, used in coatings, personal care products, cleaning agents, and fuel blending. Because denaturing removes it from beverage-alcohol tax treatment, it enters under a different regulatory pathway than undenatured ethanol, though TTB still governs the approved denaturant formulas and importers must comply with those specifications. Fuel-grade denatured ethanol used as a gasoline blendstock is also subject to EPA renewable fuel standard considerations, adding a second regulatory layer for energy-sector buyers.
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10 import shipments a month
Yes. Even though denaturing removes the product from beverage-alcohol excise tax, TTB still regulates the approved denaturant formulas. Importers must ensure the denaturant used by the foreign producer matches a TTB-approved formula; non-conforming denaturants can result in the shipment being treated as undenatured alcohol for tax and permit purposes.
Both fall under SITC 51216, but fuel-grade ethanol blended into gasoline must also meet EPA fuel-quality and renewable fuel standard requirements, including RIN (Renewable Identification Number) generation eligibility. Industrial-grade denatured ethanol used in coatings or solvents does not carry these fuel-program obligations, so end-use documentation is important for compliance.
Basic heading 14 of 465 in section 5
Basic heading 51216 · $342.4M of $26.2B
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Exports · August 2026
destination
Canada and Colombia together take 68% 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.
ImportsExports
Imports
$415KYoY · free account
Exports
$342.4MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $8.4M of Denatured Ethyl Alcohol and Other Denatured Spirits and exported $3.3B.
Through August 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.