WCO Explanatory Notes reproduced for reference. © World Customs Organization. Verify against official WCO publication.
25.15 - Marble, travertine, ecaussine and other calcareous monumental or building stone of an apparent specific gravity of 2.5 or more, and alabaster, whether or not roughly trimmed or merely cut, b sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular (including square) shape 6). - Marble and travertine : 2515.11 - - Crude or roughly trimmed 2515.12 - - Merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular (including square) shape 2515.20 - Ecaussine and other calcareous monumental or building stone; alabaster Marble is a hard calcareous stone, homogeneous and fine- ained, often crystalline and either opaque or translucent. Marble is usually variously tinted y the presence of mineral oxides (coloured veined marble, onyx marble, etc.), but there are pure white varieties. f Travertines are varieties of calcareous stone containing layers of open cells. Ecaussine is extracted from various quarries in Belgium and particularly at Ecaussines. It is a bluish-grey stone with an irregular crystalline structure and contains man fossilised shells. On fracture Ecaussine shows a granular surface similar to granite and is there ore sometimes known as " Belgian granite "," Flanders granite " or "petit granit ". r The heading covers other similar hard calcareous monumental or building stones, rovided their apparent specific gravi is 2.5 or more (i.e., effective weight in kgll, 00 cm3). Calcareous monumental or buil ng stones of an apparent specific gravlty of less than 2.5 are classified in heading 25.16. The heading also includes both gypseous alabaster, which is usually white and uniformly translucent, and calcareous alabaster, normally yellowish and veined. The heading is restricted to the stones specified, presented in the mass or roughly w e d or merely cut, b sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular (including square) shape. In the o m of granules, chippings or powder, they fall in heading 25.17. B Blocks, etc., which have been fiuther worked, i.e., bossed, dressed yith %e pick, bushin hammer or chisel, etc., sand-dressed, ground, polished, chamfered, etc., are classified in heading 68. 2. The same classification applies to blanks of articles. The heading also excludes : (a) Serpentine or ophite (a magnesium silicate sometimes called marble) (heading 25.16). (b) Limestone (known as " lithographic stone " and used in the printing industry) (heading 25.30 when in the crude state). (c) Stones identifiable as mosaic cubes or as paving flagstones, even if merely shaped or processed as specified in the text of this heading (heading 68.02 or 68.01 respectively).
1.- Except where their context or Note 4 to this Chapter otherwise requires, the headings of this Chapter cover only products which are in the crude state or which have been washed (even with chemical substances eliminating the impurities without changing the structure of the product), crushed, ground, powdered, levigated, sifted, screened, concentrated by flotation, magnetic separation or other mechanical or physical processes (except crystallisation), but not products which have been roasted, calcined, obtained by mixing or subjected to processing beyond that mentioned in each heading. The products of this Chapter may contain an added anti-dusting agent, provided that such addition does not render the product particularly suitable for specific use rather than for general use. 2.- This Chapter does not cover : (a) Sublimed sulphur, precipitated sulphur or colloidal sulphur (heading 28.02); (b) Earth colours containing 70 % or more by weight of combined iron evaluated as Fe O 2 3 (heading 28.21); (c) Medicaments or other products of Chapter 30; (d) Perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations (Chapter 33); (e) Dolomite ramming mix (heading 38.16); (f) Setts, curbstones or flagstones (heading 68.01); mosaic cubes or the like (heading 68.02); roofing, facing or damp course slates (heading 68.03); (g) Precious or semi-precious stones (heading 71.02 or 71.03); (h) Cultured crystals (other than optical elements) weighing not less than 2.5 g each, of sodium chloride or of magnesium oxide, of heading 38.24; optical elements of sodium chloride or of magnesium oxide (heading 90.01); (ij) Billiard chalks (heading 95.04); or (k) Writing or drawing chalks or tailors' chalks (heading 96.09). 3.- Any products classifiable in heading 25.17 and any other heading of the Chapter are to be classified in heading 25.17. 4.- Heading 25.30 applies, inter alia, to : vermiculite, perlite and chlorites, unexpanded; earth colours, whether or not calcined or mixed together; natural micaceous iron oxides; meerschaum (whether or not in polished pieces); amber; agglomerated meerschaum and agglomerated amber, in plates, rods, sticks or similar forms, not worked after moulding; jet; strontianite (whether or not calcined), other than strontium oxide; broken pieces of pottery, brick or concrete.