Customs Adjusts Tariff Code for Secondary Copper Raw Material Imports, Provisional Tax Rate Set at 0% [SMM Analysis]

SMM, January 4: According to SMM, the General Administration of Customs recently updated the provisional tariff table for imported goods, detailing adjustments to the import tax rates for secondary copper raw materials.

Starting January 1, 2025, the provisional tariff rate for secondary copper and copper alloy raw materials, as specified in the tariff table published by the General Administration of Customs, will be adjusted from the 2025 Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) rate of 1.5% to 0%.

Specifically, based on information from the official website of the General Administration of Customs, the tariff codes and provisional import tax rates for secondary copper raw materials in 2025 have been adjusted as follows:

Before December 31, 2024, the import tariff regulations for secondary copper raw materials were as follows:
Category | HS Code | Description | Tariff
Secondary Copper Raw Material | 7404000030 | Importable secondary copper raw materials meeting GB/T38471 standards (copper wire, mixed copper materials, copper wire nodules) | 0%
Secondary Copper Raw Material | 7404000050 | Other importable secondary copper raw materials | 1.5%
Secondary Copper Alloy Raw Material | 7404000020 | Importable secondary brass raw materials meeting GB/T38470 standards (blocks, scraps) | 0%
Secondary Copper Alloy Raw Material | 7404000040 | Other importable secondary copper alloy raw materials (blocks, scraps) | 1.5%

In the newly revised 2025 import commodity codes:
- HS codes 7404000010 (waste motors primarily composed of recycled copper) and 7404000090 (other copper waste and scrap) are retained, with the provisional import tax rate remaining at 1.5%.
- HS code 7404000040 (other importable secondary copper alloy raw materials (blocks, scraps)) is retained, with the provisional import tax rate remaining at 1.5%.
- HS codes 7404000030 (importable secondary copper raw materials meeting GB/T38471 standards (copper wire, mixed copper materials, copper wire nodules)) and 7404000020 (importable secondary brass raw materials meeting GB/T38470 standards (blocks, scraps)) are deleted.
- HS code 7404000050 (other importable secondary copper raw materials) is revised to 7404000050 (importable secondary copper raw materials), and HS code 7404000040 (other importable secondary copper alloy raw materials (blocks, scraps)) is revised to 7404000050 (importable secondary copper alloy raw materials (blocks, scraps)), with the provisional import tax rate adjusted to 0%.

Overall, this revision maintains the provisional tariff rate for secondary copper raw material imports at 0%, with the MFN rate at 1.5%. However, the names of imported goods have been updated, changing from secondary copper raw materials and secondary brass raw materials to secondary copper and copper alloy raw materials, while the tariff heading remains unchanged at 74040000. The adjustments to import tariffs for secondary copper and secondary copper alloy raw materials, as well as secondary aluminum and aluminum alloy raw materials, align better with current management practices for imported recycled metals. The inclusion of bronze, cupronickel, and scrap materials in mid-2024 may benefit from the implementation of the new import regulations. Additionally, the maintenance of a 0% provisional tariff rate for secondary copper and secondary copper alloy raw materials demonstrates the country's efforts to promote the recycling of metals and assist enterprises in energy conservation and carbon reduction. It is expected that this round of tariff adjustments will have a relatively small impact on the actual import volume of secondary copper raw materials.

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