WCO Explanatory Notes reproduced for reference. © World Customs Organization. Verify against official WCO publication.
27.05 - Coal gas, water gas, producer gas and similar gases, other than petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons. Coal gas is obtained by the distillation of coal in the absence of air, usually in gas works or coke ovens. It is a complex mixture of hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, etc., and is used for lighting or heating purposes. The heading includes the gas roduced b underground gasification and also water gas, roducer gas and similar gases, or example last-furnace gas. It also covers mixtures of gases krmed by cracking or reforming of mineral oils, petroleum gases or natural gases, usually m the resence of steam. These mixtures are similar in composition to coal gas and are used for Reciting or l i p g purposes and in the sythesis of chemicals, e.g., methanol, ammonia. In the latter case, t ey are sometimes called ' synthesis gas ". However, the heading excludes the gases specified in heading 27.11. P Y,
1.- This Chapter does not cover : (a) Separate chemically defined organic compounds, other than pure methane and propane which are to be classified in heading 27.11; (b) Medicaments of heading 30.03 or 30.04; or (c) Mixed unsaturated hydrocarbons of heading 33.01, 33.02 or 38.05. 2.- References in heading 27.10 to “petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals” include not only petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals but also similar oils, as well as those consisting mainly of mixed unsaturated hydrocarbons, obtained by any process, provided that the weight of the non-aromatic constituents exceeds that of the aromatic constituents. However, the references do not include liquid synthetic polyolefins of which less than 60 % by volume distils at 300 C, after conversion to 1,013 millibars when a reduced-pressure distillation method is used (Chapter 39). 3.- For the purposes of heading 27.10, “waste oils” means waste containing mainly petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals (as described in Note 2 to this Chapter), whether or not mixed with water. These include : (a) Such oils no longer fit for use as primary products (for example, used lubricating oils, used hydraulic oils and used transformer oils); (b) Sludge oils from the storage tanks of petroleum oils, mainly containing such oils and a high concentration of additives (for example, chemicals) used in the manufacture of the primary products; and (c) Such oils in the form of emulsions in water or mixtures with water, such as those resulting from oil spills, storage tank washings, or from the use of cutting oils for machining operations. Subheading Notes. 1.- For the purposes of subheading 2701.11, “anthracite” means coal having a volatile matter limit (on a dry, mineral-matter-free basis) not exceeding 14 %. 2.- For the purposes of subheading 2701.12, “bituminous coal” means coal having a volatile matter limit (on a dry, mineral-matter-free basis) exceeding 14 % and a calorific value limit (on a moist, mineral-matter- free basis) equal to or greater than 5,833 kcal/kg. 3.- For the purposes of subheadings 2707.10, 2707.20, 2707.30 and 2707.40 the terms “benzol (benzene)”, “toluol (toluene)”, “xylol (xylenes)” and “naphthalene” apply to products which contain more than 50 % by weight of benzene, toluene, xylenes or naphthalene, respectively. 4.- For the purposes of subheading 2710.12, “light oils and preparations” are those of which 90 % or more by volume (including losses) distil at 210 °C according to the ISO 3405 method (equivalent to the ASTM D 86 method). 5.- For the purposes of the subheadings of heading 27.10, the term “biodiesel” means mono-alkyl esters of fatty acids of a kind used as a fuel, derived from animal, vegetable or microbial fats and oils whether or not used.