HTS heading 2844 · Chapter 28, Inorganic chemicals and rare-earth compounds
US imports of Radioactive chemical elements and radioactive isotopes
Radioactive chemical elements and radioactive isotopes (including the fissile or fertile chemical elements and isotopes) and their compounds; mixtures and residues containing these products
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, USA Trade Online / International Trade API, imports for consumption, March–July 2026; effective duty = calculated duty ÷ dutiable value.
US imports under HTS 2844 at a glance
Between March and July 2026, US importers entered $2.61 billion of radioactive chemical elements and radioactive isotopes under HTS heading 2844, from 26 of the 55 origin countries covered here and across 17 ten-digit tariff lines — roughly $523 million a month of customs value under a single four-digit heading.
The heading belongs to chapter 28, inorganic chemicals and rare-earth compounds. Classification disputes in this range usually turn on the six-digit subheading, which is where the rates start to diverge.
Top origin countries by share of HTS 2844
Origin countries: value, share and duty paid
| Origin | Import value | Share | Dutiable share | Effective duty | Duty per $100 | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | $654 million | 25% | 0.1% | 9.07% | $0.01 | Duty on 2844.20.00 |
| United Kingdom | $560 million | 21.4% | 0% | 0% | $0.00 | Duty on 2844.20.00 |
| Russia | $496 million | 19% | 0.5% | 0.13% | $0.00 | Duty on 2844.20.00 |
| Canada | $479 million | 18.3% | 0.1% | 9.47% | $0.01 | |
| Germany | $211 million | 8.1% | 0.2% | 7.76% | $0.02 | Duty on 2844.20.00 |
| Netherlands | $153 million | 5.9% | 0.8% | 9.36% | $0.07 | Duty on 2844.20.00 |
| Belgium | $30.0 million | 1.1% | 3.4% | 1.04% | $0.04 | Duty on 2844.43.00 Belgium lane |
| South Africa | $15.3 million | 0.6% | 0% | 0% | $0.00 | Duty on 2844.10.20 |
| Australia | $4.3 million | 0.2% | 2% | 4.80% | $0.10 | Duty on 2844.43.00 |
| Turkey | $3.9 million | 0.1% | 4.1% | 12.50% | $0.51 | Duty on 2844.43.00 |
| Czechia | $3.4 million | 0.1% | 0% | 0% | $0.00 | Duty on 2844.43.00 |
| Italy | $2.6 million | 0.1% | 0% | 0% | $0.00 | Duty on 2844.43.00 Italy lane |
| Switzerland | $774,000 | 0% | 23.8% | 8.69% | $2.07 | Duty on 2844.43.00 |
| Finland | $508,000 | 0% | 0% | 0% | $0.00 | Duty on 2844.43.00 |
| Denmark | $318,000 | 0% | 85.6% | 6.55% | $5.61 | Duty on 2844.43.00 |
Who exports radioactive chemical elements and radioactive isotopes to the United States
France is the largest origin with $654 million, or 25% of the heading, with United Kingdom at 21.4% and Russia at 19%. The top three take 65.4% between them — enough concentration to matter when one origin's duty treatment changes, but not so much that a buyer has no alternative to qualify.
Canada sits near the top of the table, and the duty numbers reflect it: Canada entered 99.9% of its value free of duty. Cargo that qualifies under USMCA and is claimed correctly at entry pays nothing; cargo that does not qualify, or that is never claimed, pays the ordinary rate. The certification is the whole difference.
What importers actually paid in duty
Most of this heading enters duty-free. Only 0.3% of the entered value was dutiable, and across all origins CBP collected $332,000 — about $0.01 of duty per $100 of goods. The headline rate on the dutiable portion was 4.6%, but it applies to a small slice, so the number that matters to a landed-cost model is the $0.01.
Duty treatment is fairly uniform across origins here: the countries with real volume all land within a narrow band of $0.00–$0.07 per $100 of goods. Where that happens, switching origin does little for the duty bill, and savings have to come from classification, valuation or freight.
10-digit tariff lines under HTS 2844
| HTS code | Description | Import value | Share | Duty per $100 | Largest origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2844.20.00.20 | Uranium enriched in U235 and its compounds; plutonium and its compounds; alloys, dispersions (including cermets), ceramic products and mixtures containing uranium enriched in U235, plutonium or compounds of these products | $1.95 billion | 74.5% | $0.00 | France |
| 2844.10.20.10 | Oxide | $267 million | 10.2% | $0.00 | Canada |
| 2844.43.00.28 | Other radioactive elements and isotopes and compounds; other alloys, dispersions (including cermets), ceramic products and mixtures containing these elements, isotopes or compounds | $171 million | 6.5% | $0.13 | Canada |
| 2844.10.20.25 | Hexafluoride | $111 million | 4.2% | $0.00 | Canada |
| 2844.43.00.50 | Other | $60.3 million | 2.3% | $0.03 | Germany |
| 2844.43.00.10 | Elements, isotopes and compounds with cobalt-60 radioactivity only | $43.4 million | 1.7% | $0.00 | Canada |
| 2844.10.20.55 | Other | $6.2 million | 0.2% | $0.00 | Canada |
| 2844.20.00.10 | Uranium enriched in U235 and its compounds; plutonium and its compounds; alloys, dispersions (including cermets), ceramic products and mixtures containing uranium enriched in U235, plutonium or compounds of these products | $5.7 million | 0.2% | $0.00 | United Kingdom |
| 2844.41.00.00 | — | $1.1 million | 0% | $6.12 | Canada |
| 2844.44.00.00 | — | $173,000 | 0% | $6.12 | Canada |
| 2844.30.50.10 | — | $122,000 | 0% | $4.51 | France |
| 2844.50.00.00 | Spent (irradiated) fuel elements (cartridges) of nuclear reactors | $85,000 | 0% | $0.00 | Canada |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, USA Trade Online / International Trade API, imports for consumption, March–July 2026; effective duty = calculated duty ÷ dutiable value.
The 10-digit lines under heading 2844
17 ten-digit lines carried trade under this heading in the period. The largest, 2844.20.00.20 (uranium enriched in U235 and its compounds), took 74.5% of the heading at $1.95 billion. 2844.10.20.10, 2844.43.00.28 and 2844.10.20.25 follow. Rates diverge between those lines, so the classification your broker files is worth checking against the goods rather than carried over from the last entry.
What the duty stack looks like
The rate on an entry is not one number. It is a stack: the general (column 1) rate for the 10-digit line, less any trade-agreement preference the goods qualify for, plus whatever additional duties apply to that product and origin, all applied to the customs value declared. The $0.01 per $100 above is what that stack averaged across every entry in this heading — a benchmark, not a quote.
For the origins carrying the most volume, the per-country breakdowns go a level deeper: France (2844.20.00), United Kingdom (2844.20.00) and Russia (2844.20.00). To price a specific shipment, put your 10-digit code and country of origin into the tariff simulator.
What this means for your next shipment
The numbers above are a starting point, not the answer for a specific shipment: the rate depends on the exact 10-digit line, the origin, and any trade-agreement claim you can substantiate. Airlift USA arranges the ocean and air movement and coordinates classification and entry filing through our licensed broker network.
For the operational side rather than the tariff side, see the Chemicals & Hazardous Goods Commodities guide for how this cargo moves and the heading index to compare against the rest of chapter 28.
Price a shipment under HTS 2844
Airlift USA has moved ocean and air freight into the United States since 1999 and coordinates HTS classification, ISF and entry filing through our licensed broker network.
Methodology
Figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's international trade statistics for imports for consumption — the customs value of goods entered into US commerce, not shipments in transit or goods held in bonded warehouses. The period is March–July 2026 (5 months of data), and coverage is limited to 55 major origin countries, so totals here are lower than published US-wide totals for the same heading.
Three quantities are additive and everything else is derived from them: entered customs value, dutiable value and calculated duty. Effective duty is calculated duty divided by dutiable value — the rate CBP actually applied to the part of the trade that was dutiable. Dutiable share is dutiable value divided by entered value; below 20% it means the trade entered mostly free, under a trade agreement or a duty-free provision. Duty per $100 spreads calculated duty across all entered value, which is the figure comparable between origins.
Chapter 98 and chapter 99 are excluded: those are special classification and temporary-measure provisions rather than product headings. Heading and tariff-line descriptions are the current HTS text. Values are historical and reflect duty as calculated at the time of entry; they are not a quote and not a prediction of the rate on a future shipment.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, USA Trade Online / International Trade API, imports for consumption, March–July 2026; effective duty = calculated duty ÷ dutiable value. Census data is a work of the US government and is in the public domain.
Frequently asked questions
Which countries export the most radioactive chemical elements and radioactive isotopes to the United States?
France is the largest origin under HTS heading 2844, with $654 million entered between March and July 2026, or 25% of the heading. United Kingdom follows at 21.4% and Russia at 19%. Figures cover the 55 major origin countries in this dataset. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, USA Trade Online / International Trade API, imports for consumption, March–July 2026; effective duty = calculated duty ÷ dutiable value.
How much import duty is paid on radioactive chemical elements and radioactive isotopes under HTS 2844?
Across all origins, 0.3% of the entered value was dutiable and CBP calculated $332,000 of duty over the five months — an effective 4.6% on dutiable value, or about $0.01 per $100 of goods across the whole heading. Your own rate depends on the exact 10-digit line and country of origin.
Which HTS codes fall under heading 2844?
Heading 2844 covers radioactive chemical elements and radioactive isotopes (including the fissile or fertile chemical elements and isotopes) and their compounds; mixtures and residues containing these products. 17 ten-digit lines recorded imports in this period; the largest by value were 2844.20.00.20, 2844.10.20.10, 2844.43.00.28 and 2844.10.20.25. Duty rates differ between those lines, so the 10-digit classification matters more than the heading.
Which origin pays the lowest duty on radioactive chemical elements and radioactive isotopes?
Among origins with at least 2% of the heading, United Kingdom paid the least duty relative to entered value — about $0.00 per $100 of goods, with 100% of its value entering free. Duty is only one part of landed cost, and a claim has to be substantiated at entry to be allowed.
How do I check the duty on my own shipment?
Use the Airlift USA tariff simulator with your 10-digit HTS code and country of origin to see the duty stack that applies today, then confirm the classification before you file. Airlift USA coordinates classification and entry filing through our licensed broker network and can review the code against your product specification.