WCO Explanatory Notes reproduced for reference. © World Customs Organization. Verify against official WCO publication.
27.14 - Bitumen and as halt, natural; bituminous or oil shale and tar sands; asphaltites and asphaltic rocks F). 27 14.10 - Bituminous or oil shale and tar sands 2714.90 - Other This headin covers natural bitumen and natural asphalt (including " Trinidad Lake asphalt " an materials known in some countries as " asphaltic sands "). The are brown or black, solid or very viscous mixtures of naturally occunrng hydrocarbons wi inert mineral matter, which in the case of asphalts may be substantial. d X The heading also includes : (1) Bituminous or oil shale and tar sands. (2) Asphaltites. (3) Asphaltic limestone and other asphaltic rocks. The above materials remain classified in this heading whether or not treated to remove water or angue and whether or not ulverised or mixed together.The mere addition of water to natural bumen does not change tl!e classification of the product for the purposes of headmp 27.14. Further, the heading also includes dehydrated and ulverized natural bitumen dis ersed m water and containing a small amount of an emulsifier &urfactant), added solely to acilitate safety, handling or transport. P They are used for road surfacing, waterproofin varnish or enamel manufacture, etc. Bituminous shale and tar sands are used as a source o mineral oils. ? The heading does not cover : (a) Tarred macadam (heading 25.17). (b) Bituminous coal (heading 27.01). (c) Bituminous lignite (heading 27.02). (d) Bitumen obtained firom petroleum (heading 27.13). (e) Bituminous mixtures based on natural bitumen with added substances, other than water and emulsifiers (surfactants) necessary solely to facilitate safety, handling or transport (heading 27.15). (f) Articles of asphalt of heading 68.07.
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.