Propionic acid and its salts/esters are strategically important specialty chemicals primarily used as mold inhibitors in food and animal feed, with secondary applications in herbicides and polymer production. Supply is highly concentrated among a few large producers in Germany, the US, Belgium, and increasingly China, making trade flows sensitive to capacity utilization and Chinese export pricing. Import monitoring should flag country-of-origin declarations carefully due to Chinese re-export risk through intermediary markets and potential anti-dumping exposure in EU and US jurisdictions.
HS Code 291550 covers Propionic Acid and Propionates under the Harmonized System. It is used for customs declarations, import duty assessment, trade statistics, export documentation, and sourcing analysis.
Products classified under HS 291550 are used across Food Preservation, Animal Feed Additives, Agrochemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Plastics & Polymers. Demand is driven by Food safety regulations driving mold inhibitor demand, Livestock industry growth, Herbicide production growth, Cellulose propionate demand in plastics.
Major exporting countries include United States, China, Netherlands, Germany, India based on recent international trade reporting.
Demand is linked to Food safety regulations driving mold inhibitor demand, Livestock industry growth, Herbicide production growth, Cellulose propionate demand in plastics. Input costs are influenced by Ethylene (via hydroformylation/Reppe process) or natural gas-derived syngas.
Active US trade measures:
Verify final rates with HTSUS, TARIC, CBIC India, and a licensed customs broker.
US importers of Propionic Acid and Propionates must classify at the HTS10 level. Additional measures such as Section 232, Section 301, ADD/CVD, or Chapter 99 provisions may apply depending on the exact classification and origin.
EU importers classify Propionic Acid and Propionates at TARIC10 level. Preferential treatment may apply where rules of origin are satisfied under EU trade agreements. Intra-EU trade is duty-free.
India assesses Propionic Acid and Propionates at the HS8 level under the CBIC Customs Tariff. The applicable duty framework is: BCD 7.50% + SWS 0.80% + IGST 18% = 27.86% effective gross rate. IGST is generally recoverable for registered B2B importers via GST filing.
Based on recent international trade data, the leading exporting countries for Propionic Acid and Propionates are:
These corridors show where trade activity is concentrated. Buyers use this signal to identify supplier depth, established logistics lanes, and alternative sourcing markets.
| HS Code | 291550 |
| Product | Propionic Acid and Propionates |
| Chapter | 29 — Industrial Chemical |
| Major exporting countries | United States, China, Netherlands, Germany, India |
| Primary industries | Food Preservation, Animal Feed Additives, Agrochemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Plastics & Polymers |
| Trade year | 2024 |
| US duty framework | 4.47% MFN |
| EU duty framework | 4.20% MFN |
| India BCD | 7.50% BCD |
Logitality sourcing intelligence for HS 291550 combines global trade corridors, tariff data, commodity cost signals, FX movement, and supplier-country analysis to compare origins by estimated landed cost.
Compare supplier countries for HS 291550 by full duty stack and landed cost.
Run sourcing intelligence →Read the detailed sourcing guide for HS 291550 Propionic Acid and Propionates, including supplier-country analysis, trade-flow context, and procurement considerations.
HS Code 291550: Propionic Acid and Propionates — Sourcing, Trade & Compliance Guide (2025) →
HS Code 291550 covers Propionic Acid and Propionates and is used for customs declarations, trade statistics, import duty assessment, and sourcing analysis.
Duty varies by destination and classification. US: 4.47% MFN. EU: 4.20% MFN. India: 7.50% BCD.
Major exporting countries include United States, China, Netherlands, Germany, India, based on recent trade reporting.