Section VI · Chemical Products · Chapter 34
Soap, organic surface-active agents; washing, lubricating, polishing or scouring preparations; artificial or prepared waxes, candles and similar articles, modelling pastes, dental waxes and dental preparations with a basis of plaster
About chapter 34
Chapter 34 covers soap, organic surface-active agents; washing, lubricating, polishing or scouring preparations; artificial or prepared waxes, candles and similar articles: household and industrial cleaning and personal-care products built around surfactant chemistry.
Classification tip: Industrial lubricants in this chapter are classified separately from the mineral oils in chapter 27 they're often made from: the finished lubricant preparation, not its petroleum origin, determines the chapter.
24 six-digit codes
Soap; organic surface-active preparations used as soap, skin washing, in bars, cakes, moulded pieces, shapes, liquid or cream, containing soap or not; for retail, paper, wadding, felt and nonwovens, impregnated, coated or covered with soap or detergent
4 codes3401.11Soap and organic surface-active products; in the form of bars, cakes, moulded shapes, and paper, wadding, felt and nonwovens, impregnated, coated or covered with soap or detergent, for toilet use (including medicated products)3401.19Soap and organic surface-active products; in the form of bars, cakes, moulded shapes, and paper, wadding, felt and nonwovens, impregnated, coated or covered with soap or detergent, not for toilet use3401.20Soap; in forms n.e.c. in item no. 3401.113401.30Organic surface-active products and preparations for washing the skin, in the form of liquid or cream and put up for retail sale, whether or not containing soap
Organic surface-active agents (not soap); surface-active, washing (including auxiliary washing) and cleaning preparations, containing soap or not, excluding those of heading no. 3401
7 codes3402.31Anionic organic surface-active agents (other than soap); linear alkylbenzene sulphonic acids and their salts, whether or not put up for retail sale3402.39Anionic organic surface-active agents (other than soap); other than linear alkylbenzene sulphonic acids and their salts, whether or not put up for retail sale3402.41Organic surface-active agents; cationic (other than soap), whether or not put up for retail sale3402.42Organic surface-active agents; non-ionic (other than soap), whether or not put up for retail sale3402.49Organic surface-active agents; whether or not put up for retail sale, n.e.c. in item no. 34023402.50Washing and cleaning preparations; powders, flakes and granules, surface-active, whether or not containing soap (excluding those of heading no. 3401), put up for retail sale3402.90Washing and cleaning preparations; surface-active, whether or not containing soap (excluding those of heading no. 3401), including auxiliary washing preparations, not for retail sale
Lubricating preparations and those used in oil or grease treatment of textile and similar materials; excluding preparations containing 70% or more (by weight) of petroleum or bituminous mineral oils
4 codes3403.11Lubricating preparations; for the treatment of textile and similar materials (leather, furskins etc), containing less than 70% (by weight) of petroleum oils or oils obtained from bituminous minerals3403.19Lubricating preparations; (other than for the treatment of textile and similar materials), containing less than 70% (by weight) of petroleum oils or oils obtained from bituminous minerals3403.91Lubricating preparations; for the treatment of textile and similar materials (leather, furskins etc), (not containing petroleum oils or oils obtained from bituminous minerals)3403.99Lubricating preparations; other than for the treatment of textile and similar materials, not containing petroleum oils or oils obtained from bituminous minerals
Waxes; artificial, prepared
2 codes3404.20Waxes; artificial and prepared, of poly(oxyethylene) (polyethylene glycol)3404.90Waxes; artificial and prepared, other than of polyethylene glycol
Polishes, creams, scouring pastes, powders and similar; in any form, (including articles impregnated, coated or covered with such), for furniture, footwear, floors, coachwork, glass or metal
5 codes3405.10Polishes, creams and similar preparations; for footwear or leather, excluding waxes of heading no. 34043405.20Polishes, creams and similar preparations; for the maintenance of wooden furniture, floors or other woodwork, excluding waxes of heading no. 34043405.30Polishes, creams and similar preparations; for coachwork, other than metal polishes, excluding waxes of heading no. 34043405.40Scouring pastes and powders and other scouring preparations; (whether or not in the form of paper, wadding, felt, nonwovens, cellular plastics, cellular rubber, impregnated, coated or covered)3405.90Polishes, creams and similar preparations; n.e.c. in heading no. 3405, excluding waxes of heading no. 3404
Candles, tapers and the like
1 code3406.00Candles, tapers and the like
Modelling pastes, including those for children; dental wax, impression compounds, in sets or packings for retail sale or in plates and similar forms; dentistry preparations with plaster base
1 code3407.00Modelling pastes; preparations known as dental wax, put up in sets, in packings for retail sale or in plates, horseshoe shapes, sticks or similar forms, other preparations for use in dentistry
More chapters in section VI: Chemical Products
Codes and descriptions follow the WCO six-digit Harmonized System nomenclature. National tariff schedules extend these to 8–13 digits and set the actual duty rate, so confirm the full code for your destination country with your customs broker before filing. To copy a code, hover a row and use the copy button; every code has 3401-style dot notation ready for your commercial invoice.
Chapter 34 FAQ
What does HS code chapter 34 cover?
Chapter 34 of the Harmonized System covers: soap, organic surface-active agents; washing, lubricating, polishing or scouring preparations; artificial or prepared waxes, candles and similar articles, modelling pastes, dental waxes and dental preparations with a basis of plaster. It belongs to section VI (Chemical Products) and contains 7 four-digit headings, 3401–3407.
How many HS codes are in chapter 34?
Chapter 34 contains 7 four-digit headings and 24 six-digit subheadings. Countries subdivide these further (8–13 digits) in their national tariff schedules, so the full national count is larger.
Is HS code 3401 the same in every country?
Yes. The six-digit level of every code in this chapter is harmonised by the World Customs Organization and identical in all member countries. Digits beyond the sixth (for example the US 10-digit HTS or the EU 8-digit CN) are national and set the actual duty rate.
How do I choose the right code within chapter 34?
Work from the four-digit heading down: pick the heading that best matches your product, then the six-digit subheading that matches its material, form or processing. If two codes seem to fit, customs rules (the General Rules of Interpretation) decide, and when in doubt, confirm with your customs broker before filing.