U.S. exports of Synthetic Organic Fluorescent Brightening Agents (SITC 53121) totaled $18.2M in August 2026.
Importers of Synthetic Organic Fluorescent Brightening Agents paid $938K in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 12.85% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule. Synthetic Organic Fluorescent Brightening Agents imports of $7.3M in August 2026 ran 58% above the year-to-date monthly average of $4.6M.
Last updated: August 2026 dataFluorescent brightening agents (FBAs), also called optical brighteners or fluorescent whitening agents, absorb ultraviolet light and re-emit it as visible blue light, counteracting the yellowing of substrates to produce a perception of enhanced whiteness in textiles, paper, and detergents. Stilbene-based and coumarin-based chemistries dominate commercial trade, with stilbene derivatives being the primary type used in laundry detergents and textile finishing. FBAs are high-volume specialty chemicals with significant import flows from Asian producers, and certain formulations are subject to TSCA inventory requirements upon entry into the United States.
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163 import shipments a month
Yes. FBAs are chemical substances subject to TSCA, and importers must ensure the specific substance is listed on the TSCA Chemical Substance Inventory or that an applicable exemption (such as the polymer exemption or low-volume exemption) applies. Substances not on the inventory require a Pre-Manufacture Notice (PMN) or equivalent notification before import.
Fluorescent brightening agents function by UV absorption and blue-light emission to enhance apparent whiteness — they do not impart a visible color in the conventional sense. Fluorescent dyes, by contrast, are used to impart a visible colored appearance to a substrate. This functional distinction, rather than chemical structure alone, determines whether a substance belongs in the brightening agent heading or in one of the dye headings.
Basic heading 192 of 465 in section 5
Basic heading 53121 · $18.2M of $26.2B
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Exports · August 2026
destination
South Korea and Canada 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
$7.3MYoY · free account
Exports
$18.2MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $50.0M of Synthetic Organic Fluorescent Brightening Agents and exported $285.0M.
Through August 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.