Sintered Stone HS Code: How to Classify Slabs Correctly

A search for a sintered stone HS code often produces several incompatible numbers. That is not just bad data: “sintered stone” is a commercial description, while customs classification depends on the material, manufacturing method, water absorption, imported condition, intended identity and the tariff schedule of the destination country. This guide explains the decision using official sources checked on 22 July 2026. It is general classification guidance, not a binding customs ruling.

Why One Sintered Stone Product Can Produce Different Codes

The first six digits of an HS code are internationally harmonized, but countries add their own digits and statistical subdivisions. More importantly, two products sold under the same marketing name may not enter customs in the same condition.

A slab already identifiable as a wall or floor tile can point toward heading 6907. A large blank slab intended to be cut after import for countertops, walls, furniture or other uses may not have that dedicated identity. Resin-bound artificial stone can raise Chapter 68 questions instead of Chapter 69. A finished vanity top, table component or sanitary article can raise another heading again.

This is why supplier invoices, shipping databases and marketplace pages show codes such as 6907.21, 6914.90 or 6810.99 for goods described as sintered stone. Those records are clues, not proof for a new shipment.

When HS 6907.21 Is the Strongest Candidate

Heading 6907 covers ceramic flags and paving, hearth or wall tiles, mosaic articles and finishing ceramics. Subheading 6907.21 is the branch for covered tiles with a water-absorption coefficient by weight not exceeding 0.5%.

The 2026 Canada Customs Tariff Chapter 69 shows the decision clearly: 6907.21 is divided again between unglazed and glazed goods, and the Canadian glazed branch also distinguishes tiles with a surface area of at least 103 cm². The UK uses its own national commodity-code structure, while China adds national digits such as 69072190 for certain “other” qualifying tiles.

For 6907.21 to be a defensible starting point, the product file should establish all of the following:

• the article is a ceramic product fired after shaping;
• it is identifiable as a tile or covered ceramic article at import;
• its tested water absorption is no more than 0.5% by weight;
• its surface state, dimensions and intended declaration match the national subheading; and
• no more specific heading describes the finished imported article.

Why a Large Blank Slab May Fall Under HS 6914

Large format alone does not automatically make a ceramic surface a tile. US Customs and Border Protection considered stoneware ceramic slabs measuring approximately 3200 × 1400 mm and 7–35 mm thick in ruling H239871. The slabs were imported without a dedicated use and needed further cutting and edge work for countertops, vanities, floors, wall facings and furniture.

CBP held that the products were not identifiable as specific constructional ceramic goods when imported and classified them under HTSUS 6914.90.8000, “other ceramic articles.” The ruling is useful because it demonstrates the imported-condition test, but it is not an automatic code for every modern sintered stone slab. Composition, dimensions, processing, use claims and the current tariff must still be compared with the ruling facts.

US importers should also check the current USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule and consider requesting a binding CBP ruling when the commercial value or classification risk justifies it.

Sintered Stone Code Examples by Market

The table below is a decision aid, not a universal conversion table. It shows how national detail and product identity change the number.

The UK government’s classification guidance makes the operational point: the importer needs details such as product type, use, materials, production and packaging. It also warns importers to check whether an overseas supplier’s code receives the same treatment in the UK.

Does an HTS Classification Determine Whether AD/CVD Applies?

No. An HTS classification determines where merchandise is classified in the U.S. tariff schedule and which ordinary customs duty rules apply. Antidumping and countervailing duty scope is a separate, product-specific question.

The U.S. Department of Commerce explains that HTS numbers listed in an AD/CVD order are provided for convenience, while the order’s written scope description is controlling. Therefore, classifying a slab under 6907 or 6914 cannot by itself prove that the merchandise is outside cases A-570-084 and C-570-085. Review the resin-binder issue, composition and required importer evidence in Funtek’s sintered stone U.S. antidumping duty analysis.

For a formal prospective classification decision, an importer may request a CBP binding ruling. CBP requires a complete statement of the relevant facts for the specific transaction and merchandise, not only a general product name. A CBP classification ruling determines the HTS code; it is not a Commerce scope ruling on whether an AD/CVD order covers the product. Commerce’s AD/CVD guidance explains the distinction.

How to Classify a Sintered Stone Shipment

1. Describe the goods in their imported condition. Record whether they are blank slabs, wall or floor tiles, cut-to-size worktops, furniture components or finished articles.
2. Lock the material and manufacturing facts. Obtain composition, resin or binder information, firing process, surface treatment and the relevant technical data sheet. If “porcelain,” “ceramic,” “mineral surface” and “sintered stone” appear across different documents, reconcile them before declaration.
3. Verify water absorption. Do not infer a ≤0.5% result from marketing language. Use the test method and result for the exact product or technically identical production.
4. Identify the destination-country tariff. Start with the six-digit HS candidate, then work through the country’s current national subdivisions, notes and measures.
5. Compare rulings with your facts. A ruling is persuasive only when the merchandise, condition and jurisdiction align. Note every material difference.
6. Have the importer or broker confirm the declaration. For recurring or high-value shipments, consider a binding ruling before goods move.

What Documents Should Support the HS Code?

A customs broker cannot fix an incomplete product description with a code alone. Build one consistent file around the exact SKU or slab series:

• commercial invoice and packing list with precise, consistent descriptions;
• product data sheet, composition and manufacturing statement;
• water-absorption test report and the applied method;
• photos showing the slab, edge, surface and packaging condition;
• dimensions, thickness, glazing or surface-treatment status;
• intended use without disguising the condition at import; and
• broker classification note or binding ruling where applicable.

Funtek’s sintered stone sourcing process helps project teams lock the product, samples and order details. For packaging, freight and destination information, use the global slab shipping guide. Neither page replaces the importer’s customs classification responsibility.

Use a Precise Product Description, Not Just “Sintered Stone”

A useful invoice description names the material family, product form, dimensions, finish and intended identity. For example, “fired ceramic large-format wall panel, 1600 × 3200 × 6 mm, matte surface, water absorption ≤0.5% by test” provides classification facts. “Sintered stone” alone does not.

If the parties use “porcelain slab,” “ceramic slab” and “sintered stone” interchangeably, read Funtek’s porcelain slab vs sintered stone terminology comparison and then make the commercial documents agree with the verified technical file.

The Bottom Line

6907.21 is the most useful starting candidate for a qualifying low-absorption ceramic tile or panel, not a universal sintered stone code. Large blank ceramic slabs may fall under 6914 in some jurisdictions, while resin-bound artificial stone or finished articles can lead elsewhere. Confirm the material, firing, absorption, imported condition and destination-country tariff line before the commercial invoice and customs declaration are finalized.