U.S. imports of Natural Barium Sulfate (Barytes) & Natural Barium Carbonate (Witherite) (SITC 27892) totaled $35.2M in August 2026, imported from 16 countries.
Importers of Natural Barium Sulfate (Barytes) & Natural Barium Carbonate (Witherite) paid $126K in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 0.44% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule. Natural Barium Sulfate (Barytes) & Natural Barium Carbonate (Witherite) imports of $35.2M in August 2026 ran 67% above the year-to-date monthly average of $21.1M.
Last updated: August 2026 dataBarytes — natural barium sulfate — is the dominant commercial mineral in this heading, valued for its high specific gravity and chemical inertness in oilfield drilling mud, radiation shielding, and automotive brake linings. Witherite (natural barium carbonate) is far less common in trade and must be distinguished from chemically precipitated barium carbonate, which falls under a separate chemical heading. The oilfield services sector is the largest consumer of imported barytes, and API specifications for drilling-grade material govern acceptable density and chemical purity thresholds.
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1.1K import shipments a month
The American Petroleum Institute (API) publishes specifications for drilling-grade barite, including minimum specific gravity, maximum soluble alkaline earth metals, and maximum residue on sieve. Importers supplying the oilfield sector must ensure their material meets current API standards and typically provide third-party test certificates with each shipment.
Natural barytes is mined and may contain trace mineral impurities consistent with geological origin, while synthetic barium sulfate (blanc fixe) is chemically precipitated to high purity. The distinction matters because synthetic barium sulfate is classified under chemical headings rather than this mineral heading, and the two carry different duty rates. Mineralogical certificates or production-process declarations from the supplier support correct classification.
Basic heading 27 of 239 in section 2
Basic heading 27892 · $35.2M of $3.8B
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Imports · August 2026
origin
China and Laos together supply 65% of it. Switzerland pays 12.5% duty; Mexico 0.0%.
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
$35.2MYoY · free account
Exports
$1.9MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $254.8M of Natural Barium Sulfate (Barytes) & Natural Barium Carbonate (Witherite) and exported $17.3M.
Through August 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.