HS code 2501.00 (salt)
— definition for Pakistani agri exporters.

Definition

HS code 2501.00 is the World Customs Organization Harmonized System heading covering "Salt (including table salt and denatured salt) and pure sodium chloride, whether or not in aqueous solution or containing added anti-caking or free-flowing agents; sea water". It sits in Chapter 25 — Salt; sulphur; earths and stone; plastering materials, lime and cement.

Sub-headings include:

• 2501.00.10 — Salt fit for human consumption (table salt, edible-grade), including iodized salt.
• 2501.00.20 — Rock salt, including coloured rock salt (Himalayan pink salt sits here in many tariff schedules).
• 2501.00.30 / 2501.00.50 — Industrial salt, salt for chemical processing.
• 2501.00.91 / 2501.00.99 — Other forms (varies by national tariff).

Different national tariff codes use different 8-10 digit extensions; the 6-digit base (2501.00) is identical worldwide.

Why it matters for Pakistani exporters

Pakistan is home to the Khewra Salt Mine in the Salt Range of Punjab — the second-largest rock salt mine in the world after Sifto Canada's Goderich Mine, with proven reserves estimated at 6.7 billion tonnes and active for over a millennium. Khewra and the surrounding Salt Range produce Himalayan pink salt — pink-, red- and orange-hued rock salt with characteristic mineral content (trace iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium) responsible for its colour and reputed culinary positioning.

Pakistani Himalayan pink salt is exported in many forms: fine grain, coarse grain, granules, rock chunks, salt blocks, lamps, bath salt — each with its own end-market and price tier. All ship under HS 2501.00 with national-level sub-classification.

Practical guidance

Common pink salt SKUs and HS classification considerations:

• Pink salt fine grain (food-grade) — HS 2501.00.10 in most importing countries; food-contact packaging required.
• Pink salt coarse grain (food-grade) — HS 2501.00.10.
• Pink salt rock chunks (whole, food-grade) — HS 2501.00.20 (rock salt sub-heading).
• Pink salt blocks (cooking slabs) — HS 2501.00.20 or kitchenware classification depending on processing.
• Pink salt lamps (decorative) — typically classified under HS 2501.00.20 or 6815 (articles of stone) depending on form and finish.
• Pink salt bath salt — HS 2501.00 or cosmetic heading 3307 depending on whether mixed with other ingredients.

Pakistani exporters should confirm the destination-country specific code at the 8-10 digit level — duty rates and regulatory pathway can differ between food-grade and decorative classifications.

Source & standards reference

Reference: World Customs Organization (WCO) — Harmonized System 2022 edition, Chapter 25. Pakistan-side: Geological Survey of Pakistan reports on Khewra/Salt Range reserves; Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC), pmdc.gov.pk, governs Khewra mining.

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