US Superfund taxes take effect on chemicals
On Friday, the US will revive Superfund taxes on 42 building-block chemicals as well as imports of several substances made from those chemicals.
The two Superfund taxes were allowed to end in the mid-1990s. The US is reviving them as part of the $1trn Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that President Joe Biden signed into law in November.
The proceeds raised by the taxes will help replenish the government’s Superfund programme, which pays for the clean-up of waste sites.
The US is reviving two different Superfund taxes.
The first one is levied on the sale or use of 42 chemicals. These taxes are imposed on companies that make or import the 42 chemicals.
The following table shows 42 chemicals and their tax rate.
| Taxable Chemical | Alias | $/Short Ton | Cent/lb |
| Acetylene | 9.74 | 0.487 | |
| Ammonia | 5.28 | 0.264 | |
| Antimony Trioxide | 7.40 | 0.370 | |
| Arsenic Trioxide | 6.82 | 0.341 | |
| Barium sulphide | 4.60 | 0.230 | |
| Benzene | 9.74 | 0.487 | |
| Bromine | 8.90 | 0.445 | |
| Butadiene | BD | 9.74 | 0.487 |
| Butane | 9.74 | 0.487 | |
| Butylene | 9.74 | 0.487 | |
| Chlorine | 5.40 | 0.270 | |
| Chromite | 3.04 | 0.152 | |
| Cupric oxide | 7.18 | 0.359 | |
| Cupric sulphate | 3.74 | 0.187 | |
| Cuprous oxide | 7.94 | 0.397 | |
| Ethylene | 9.74 | 0.487 | |
| Hydrochloric acid | HCl | 0.58 | 0.029 |
| Hydrogen fluoride | hydrofluoric acid (HF) | 8.46 | 0.423 |
| Lead oxide | 8.28 | 0.414 | |
| Methane | 6.88 | 0.344 | |
| Naphthalene | 9.74 | 0.487 | |
| Nitric acid | 0.48 | 0.024 | |
| Phosphorus | 8.90 | 0.445 | |
| Potassium dichromate | 3.38 | 0.169 | |
| Potassium hydroxide | Caustic potash | 0.44 | 0.022 |
| Propylene | 9.74 | 0.487 | |
| Sodium dichromate | 3.74 | 0.187 | |
| Sodium hydroxide | Caustic soda | 0.56 | 0.028 |
| Stannic chloride | 4.24 | 0.212 | |
| Stannous chloride | 5.70 | 0.285 | |
| Sulphuric acid | 0.52 | 0.026 | |
| Toluene | 9.74 | 0.487 | |
| Xylene | 9.74 | 0.487 | |
| Zinc chloride | 4.44 | 0.222 | |
| Zinc sulphate | 3.80 | 0.190 | |
| Antimony | 8.90 | 0.445 | |
| Arsenic | 8.90 | 0.445 | |
| Cadmium | 8.90 | 0.445 | |
| Chromium | 8.90 | 0.445 | |
| Cobalt | 8.90 | 0.445 | |
| Mercury | 8.90 | 0.445 | |
| Nickel | 8.90 | 0.445 |