2901.10.10.00 - Ethane and butane

This HTS category, 2901.10.10.00, specifically encompasses ethane and butane. These are acyclic, saturated hydrocarbons that serve as fundamental building blocks in the petrochemical industry. Ethane is a two-carbon alkane, while butane is a four-carbon alkane, typically encountered as a mixture of n-butane and isobutane. Their primary characteristic for classification under this heading is their saturated nature, meaning all carbon-carbon bonds are single bonds, and their acyclic (open-chain) structure.

This classification is distinct from its sibling category, 2901.10.30.00, which covers n-pentane and isopentane. While both categories fall under acyclic, saturated hydrocarbons, the differentiating factor is the number of carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon chain. Ethane and butane contain two and four carbon atoms respectively, whereas n-pentane and isopentane contain five carbon atoms. This distinction is crucial for accurate tariff application.

As this node represents a leaf node within the HTS, there are no further subcategories for this specific HTS code. Therefore, the classification ends with ethane and butane as the defined products. When classifying, it is important to confirm the chemical identity of the imported product to ensure it is indeed ethane or butane, and not a mixture containing other saturated acyclic hydrocarbons that would fall under a different classification.