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SITCSection 5
U.S. imports of saturated acyclic hydrocarbons (SITC 51114) totaled $28.4M in April 2026, traded with 19 countries.
Importers of Saturated Acyclic Hydrocarbons paid $461K in duties in April 2026 — an effective duty rate of 11% on $4.2M in dutiable value, based on actual customs collections rather than the published tariff schedule.
Last updated: April 2026 dataSaturated acyclic hydrocarbons — the alkane family ranging from methane and ethane through higher paraffins such as hexane, heptane, and dodecane — are foundational petrochemical and refinery products used as solvents, extraction agents, fuel blending components, and chemical feedstocks. Hexane, one of the most widely traded members of this group, is a critical solvent for edible oil extraction from oilseeds such as soybeans and sunflower seeds, making it an indirect input to the food processing industry. Higher normal paraffins serve as feedstocks for detergent alcohol and chlorinated solvent production, while lower members like ethane and propane are primarily traded as LPG or cracker feedstocks.
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Hexane is the dominant solvent for extracting oil from soybeans, cottonseed, and other oilseeds in commercial crushing operations. While hexane itself is an industrial chemical rather than a food ingredient, the FDA sets residue limits for hexane in extracted edible oils. Importers of food-grade hexane should ensure purity specifications meet applicable standards, and buyers of extracted oils should verify that solvent residues comply with FDA tolerances.
Normal paraffins (n-alkanes) have straight carbon chains, while isoparaffins are branched. This structural difference significantly affects physical properties: n-alkanes have higher melting points and are preferred feedstocks for linear alkylbenzene (LAB) and detergent alcohol production, while isoparaffins offer better low-temperature fluidity for lubricant and solvent applications. Both fall under SITC 51114, but buyers should specify chain length distribution and branching index in purchase contracts to ensure the material meets process requirements.
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Monthly import values over time