Stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica or similar materials; articles thereof
HS v2017 Code: 68
About stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica or similar materials; articles thereof
HS code 68 covers a diverse range of materials and products that are essential for construction, infrastructure, and various industrial applications. This industry plays a crucial role in the global economy, providing the fundamental building blocks for development and growth across multiple sectors. From natural stones and engineered composites to specialized industrial minerals, the products under this code contribute to the construction of buildings, roads, bridges, and a wide array of other structures that support economic activity.
Production process
The production techniques used in the industries covered by HS code 68 vary depending on the specific material or product. Natural stones, such as granite, marble, and limestone, are typically extracted from quarries and then cut, polished, and shaped to meet specific requirements. Manufactured products, like cement and concrete, involve the careful mixing and processing of raw materials, such as limestone, clay, and aggregates, to create durable and versatile building materials. Other materials, like asbestos and mica, undergo specialized extraction, refining, and processing methods to produce the desired forms and properties.
Production inputs
The main inputs required for the industries under HS code 68 include a variety of natural resources, such as 2505 Sand; natural and 2506 (Quartz (other than natural sands); quartzite), as well as 2517 Pebbles, gravel, broken or crushed stone, of a kind commonly used for concrete aggregates, for road metalling or for railway or other ballast, shingle and flint, whether or not heat-treated; macadam of slag, dross or similar industrial waste, whether or not incorporating the materials cited in the first part of the heading; tarred macadam; granules, chippings and powder, of stones of heading 2515 or 2516. Additionally, these industries rely on specialized machinery and equipment for extraction, processing, and manufacturing operations.
Production outputs
The products covered under HS code 68 are used in a wide range of applications, including the construction of buildings, roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. These materials are also used in the production of various industrial and consumer goods, such as 6901 (Bricks, blocks, tiles and other ceramic goods of siliceous fossil meals (for example, kieselguhr, tripolite or diatomite) or of similar siliceous earths), 6902 Refractory bricks, blocks, tiles and similar refractory ceramic constructional goods, other than those of siliceous fossil meals or similar siliceous earths, and 6903 (Other refractory ceramic goods (for example, retorts, crucibles, muffles, nozzles, plugs, supports, cupels, tubes, pipes, sheaths and rods), other than those of siliceous fossil meals or of similar siliceous earths). The outputs of this industry are essential for the development and maintenance of a country's built environment and infrastructure.
Family tree for stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica or similar materials; articles thereof
graph LR A["<a href='/classifications/hs/v2017/68'>68: Stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica or similar materials; articles thereof</a>"] A --> B["<a href='/classifications/hs/v2017/6801'>6801: Stone; setts, curbstones and flagstones, of natural stone (except slate)</a>"] A --> C["<a href='/classifications/hs/v2017/6802'>6802: Monumental or building stone, worked (except slate) and articles thereof (not of heading no. 6801) mosaic cubes etc., of natural stone including slate; artificially coloured granules of natural stone</a>"] A --> D["<a href='/classifications/hs/v2017/6803'>6803: Slate, worked; and articles of slate or of agglomerated slate</a>"] A --> E["<a href='/classifications/hs/v2017/6804'>6804: Millstones, grindstones, grinding wheels, etc without frameworks, for grinding, sharpening, polishing, etc and parts thereof, natural stone, agglomerated natural or artificial abrasives or of ceramics</a>"] A --> F["<a href='/classifications/hs/v2017/6805'>6805: Abrasive powder or grain; natural or artificial, on a base of textile material, of paper, paperboard or of other material, whether or not cut to shape or sewn or otherwise made up</a>"] A --> G["<a href='/classifications/hs/v2017/6806'>6806: Slag, rock wool and similar mineral wools; exfoliated vermiculite, expanded clays, foamed slag, mixtures and articles of heat, sound insulating or sound-absorbing mineral materials</a>"] A --> H["<a href='/classifications/hs/v2017/6807'>6807: Asphalt or similar material; articles (e.g. petroleum bitumen or coal tar pitch)</a>"] A --> I["<a href='/classifications/hs/v2017/6808'>6808: Panels, boards, tiles, blocks and the like; of vegetable fibre, of straw, shavings, chips, particles, sawdust or other waste, of wood, agglomerated with cement, plaster or other mineral binders</a>"] A --> J["<a href='/classifications/hs/v2017/6809'>6809: Plaster or compositions based on plaster; articles thereof</a>"] A --> K["<a href='/classifications/hs/v2017/6810'>6810: Cement, concrete or artificial stone; whether or not reinforced, articles thereof</a>"] A --> L["<a href='/classifications/hs/v2017/6811'>6811: Asbestos-cement, of cellulose fibre-cement or the like</a>"] A --> M["<a href='/classifications/hs/v2017/6812'>6812: Fabricated asbestos fibres; mixtures with a basis of asbestos or of asbestos and magnesium carbonate; articles of such mixtures or of asbestos (e.g. thread, woven fabric, clothing, footwear), whether or not reinforced, not goods of heading 6811 or 6813</a>"] A --> N["<a href='/classifications/hs/v2017/6813'>6813: Friction material and articles thereof (e.g. sheets, rolls, strips, segments, discs, washers, pads) not mounted; for brakes, clutches or the like, with a basis of asbestos, other mineral substances, or cellulose</a>"] A --> O["<a href='/classifications/hs/v2017/6814'>6814: Mica; worked, articles of, including agglomerated or reconstituted mica; whether or not on a support of paper, paperboard or other materials</a>"] A --> P["<a href='/classifications/hs/v2017/6815'>6815: Stone or other mineral substances; articles thereof (including articles of peat), n.e.c. or included</a>"] %% Color coordination by level classDef level1 color:#000,fill:#a8f9ff,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px classDef level2 color:#000,fill:#e0a458,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px classDef level3 color:#000,fill:#419d78,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px classDef level4 color:#000,fill:#c04abc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px classDef level5 color:#000,fill:#f1c40f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px classDef level6 color:#000,fill:#f1c40f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px classDef highlight color:#000,fill:#fff,stroke:#000,stroke-width:5px %% Apply classes class A level2 class B level4 class C level4 class D level4 class E level4 class F level4 class G level4 class H level4 class I level4 class J level4 class K level4 class L level4 class M level4 class N level4 class O level4 class P level4 class A highlight %% class A level1 %% class B,C level2 %% class D,E,F,G,H,I level2 %% class J,K,L,M,N,O,P level3 %% class A highlight