HS Code for Purified Terephthalic Acid
Purified terephthalic acid (PTA) points toward subheading 2917.36 of the HTSUS, which covers terephthalic acid and its salts, and the 10-digit line to explore is 2917.36.00.00 at a general rate of 6.5%. Because PTA sits in a chain of related products, the main question is where in that chain the imported product falls: its feedstock para-xylene, the alternative ester dimethyl terephthalate, or the PET resin it is used to make each point toward different headings.
HTS Codes for Purified Terephthalic Acid
| HTS Code | Description | Duty Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2917.36.00.00 | Aromatic polycarboxylic acids and their derivatives: terephthalic acid and its salts Purified terephthalic acid (PTA, CAS 100-21-0) and other grades of terephthalic acid, plus its salts | 6.5% |
| 2917.37.00.00 | Aromatic polycarboxylic acids and their derivatives: dimethyl terephthalate Dimethyl terephthalate (DMT), the ester route to polyester, shown for contrast with PTA | 6.5% |
| 2917.39.15.00 | Aromatic polycarboxylic acids and their derivatives: other: isophthalic acid Purified isophthalic acid (PIA), an isomer used as a PET co-monomer | 6.5% |
| 2917.35.00.00 | Aromatic polycarboxylic acids and their derivatives: phthalic anhydride Phthalic anhydride, derived from ortho-xylene (shown for contrast) | 6.5% |
| 2902.43.00.00 | Cyclic hydrocarbons: p-xylene Para-xylene, the main feedstock oxidized to make PTA (shown for contrast) | Free |
| 2905.31.00.00 | Diols: ethylene glycol (ethanediol) Monoethylene glycol (MEG), the co-feedstock reacted with PTA to make PET (shown for contrast) | 5.5% |
| 3907.61.00.50 | Poly(ethylene terephthalate), in primary forms: having a viscosity number of 78 ml/g or higher: other Bottle-grade PET resin chips with a higher viscosity number, made from PTA and MEG | 6.5% |
| 3907.69.00.50 | Poly(ethylene terephthalate), in primary forms: other: other Other PET resin in primary forms, such as some fiber and film grades with a lower viscosity number | 6.5% |
How to Approach Classification for Purified Terephthalic Acid
Purified terephthalic acid is an aromatic dicarboxylic acid and falls within chapter 29 of the HTSUS, which covers separate chemically defined organic compounds. Heading 2917 provides for polycarboxylic acids, their anhydrides, halides, peroxides, peroxyacids and their derivatives, and the aromatic acids are grouped under 2917.3. Terephthalic acid and its salts are named in their own subheading, 2917.36, so PTA as a single compound usually points there directly.
Purity grade does not usually change the subheading. 'Purified' terephthalic acid, medium-purity grades and crude terephthalic acid are all forms of the same chemically defined compound, and chapter 29 covers such compounds whether or not they contain impurities. The grade is still worth documenting, since a product sheet with the CAS number (100-21-0) and assay helps confirm that the material is terephthalic acid rather than a related isomer.
Several neighboring lines in 2917.3 are easy to confuse with PTA. Dimethyl terephthalate (DMT), the methyl ester used as an alternative polyester feedstock, has its own subheading at 2917.37. Isophthalic acid, an isomer often blended into PET as a co-monomer, points toward 2917.39.15, and phthalic anhydride, made from ortho-xylene, toward 2917.35. Each is a separate compound with its own line.
It also helps to separate PTA from the products upstream and downstream of it. Para-xylene, the hydrocarbon oxidized to make PTA, points toward 2902.43 in the cyclic hydrocarbons heading, and monoethylene glycol, the co-feedstock, toward 2905.31. Once PTA and glycol are polymerized, the result is poly(ethylene terephthalate) in primary forms, which leaves chapter 29 and points toward heading 3907, where 3907.61 and 3907.69 split PET resin by viscosity number.
A useful sequence is to confirm the compound by CAS number, check that it is a single chemically defined compound rather than a polymer or a mixture, and then match it to the named subheading in 2917.3.
Duty Rate Overview
The general rate of duty for terephthalic acid at 2917.36.00.00 is 6.5%, and the neighboring aromatic acid lines shown (dimethyl terephthalate at 2917.37, isophthalic acid at 2917.39.15 and phthalic anhydride at 2917.35) also carry around 6.5%, as do the PET resin lines at 3907.61 and 3907.69. The feedstocks differ: para-xylene at 2902.43 is Free, and ethylene glycol at 2905.31 is around 5.5%. Additional duties such as Section 301 or IEEPA-based tariffs, and in some cases antidumping or countervailing duties on related products, may apply depending on country of origin. Imports of chemical substances generally call for a TSCA import certification. Preferential rates under free trade agreements may reduce duties for qualifying origins. These figures are estimates for general planning purposes only.