Cobalt; waste and scrap

HS code 810530 covers cobalt and cobalt waste and scrap. Cobalt is a critical metal with a wide range of industrial applications, including the production of superalloys, catalysts, and rechargeable batteries. As a key component in many high-tech industries, the global cobalt market is an important part of the broader metals and mining sector, with significant economic and strategic implications.

Cobalt is primarily extracted from cobalt-bearing ores through a series of mining, refining, and processing steps. The ore is first mined, then crushed and concentrated to separate the cobalt-containing minerals. These concentrates are then smelted and refined to produce pure cobalt metal. Cobalt waste and scrap is collected, sorted, and processed to recover the valuable cobalt content for reuse in new products.

The main inputs for the cobalt industry include cobalt-bearing ores and concentrates, as well as energy, machinery, and other resources required for mining, smelting, and refining operations. Key raw materials include 260500 Cobalt ores and concentrates, which are sourced from major producing regions such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Australia, and Canada.

The primary outputs of HS code 810530 are refined cobalt metal and cobalt-containing alloys and compounds. These materials are then consumed by a wide range of downstream industries, including 848620 Machines and apparatus for the manufacture of semiconductor devices or of electronic integrated circuits for use in rechargeable batteries, 840110 Nuclear reactors for use in superalloys, and 293100 Organo-inorganic compounds for use in catalysts.