HS 281512 · Caustic soda lye (liquid 50%)
Get the code right at quotation time, not at customs.
Misclassifying HS 281512 on the commercial invoice walks the cargo into the wrong duty rate, the wrong rebate column, and a customs hold that costs days of demurrage to clear. This page gives you the WCO heading, the product it most often covers, the China VAT export rebate rate, the US Section 301 status, the supplier provinces that ship it, and practitioner buying notes for first-time importers.
For an explanation of how the WCO Harmonized System is structured, what each digit means, and why misclassification is the most common landed-cost error first-time buyers make, see the HS code glossary entry.
Key facts
The numbers a buyer needs at the quotation stage. Verify each against the live source before invoicing; rates and rebate columns move.
| WCO heading | Sodium hydroxide in aqueous solution (caustic soda lye / liquid) |
|---|---|
| Chapter | 28, Inorganic chemicals |
| Industry segment | Industrial chemicals |
| Chinese name | 液态烧碱（氢氧化钠水溶液） |
| China VAT export rebate | 0% Source: China State Taxation Administration (国家税务总局), 2025 schedule. Subject to change. |
| US Section 301 | 25% Source: USTR Section 301 List 1 / 2 / 3 / 4. Verify against the current schedule. |
| Major Chinese supplier provinces | Shandong, Jiangsu, Inner Mongolia |
Buying notes
50% NaOH solution (UN 1824) is Class 8 PG II. Ships PE-lined T11 ISO tanks; bare 316L is fine at ambient but hot caustic above 80 °C requires nickel alloy. The China-Australia and China-Southeast Asia lanes are steady; China-US carries Section 301 25%. Watch the membrane / mercury / diaphragm cell origin: membrane-cell caustic is the chlor-alkali-industry standard now (low salt, low metals); legacy mercury-cell caustic from older plants is deprecated and not accepted by US food / pharma buyers.
Common end uses
The applications that drive most of the global tonnage under this code.
- Pulp and paper kraft pulping
- Aluminium extraction (Bayer process)
- Textile mercerisation
- Petroleum refining and water treatment
- Soap and detergent manufacture
Where to read next
For grade-by-grade buying notes, freight maths, supplier-tier pricing, and a worked landed-cost example, the Caustic soda lye (liquid 50%) cornerstone hub covers the full sourcing chain.
For the structure of the HS / Harmonized System, what each digit means, and why misclassification costs landed-cost margin, see the HS code glossary entry.
Need a quote on this code? Send us the HS code, the destination port, and the tonnage and we will quote FOB China and CIF / DDP landed including the current Section 301 and rebate position.
Read next
Other codes in the same chapter and the references behind them
Hub
Caustic Soda from China, sourcing, grades, packaging, and landed cost
Operator-grade reference for buying caustic soda from Chinese suppliers. Grades, container loading economics, regulatory profile by destination, and the failure modes that catch first-time buyers.
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Glossary
HS Code, Harmonized System Code
A six-digit international product classification code used by customs authorities worldwide to identify goods, assess duties, and apply trade controls. Countries extend the six-digit base with additional digits for tariff and statistical purposes (10-digit HTS in the US, 8-digit CN code in the EU, 10-digit AHECC in Australia).
Glossary
Section 301, Section 301 Tariffs
Additional tariffs imposed by the United States on Chinese-origin goods under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The current List 1, 2, 3, and 4A tariffs add 7.5 to 25 percent on top of the standard MFN duty rate, applied at HS-code level.
Free download
Free PDF: thirty-point factory audit checklist used on every chemical-park site visit, mapped against the HS-code-leading Chinese producers.