HS code by category
HS code for electronics: classify devices, components and parts
Electronics rarely sit in one chapter. A finished device, a bare PCB and a loose component can each land in a different heading, and the wrong one changes your duty. Describe the item on the right and the AI returns the HS/HTS code, the US duty rate and its reasoning.
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FORM TW-01
The short answer
Most consumer electronics fall in Chapter 85 (electrical machinery) or Chapter 84 (computing and machines), but the exact HS code depends on what the item does, not what it is made of. A finished laptop is 8471.30, a lithium-ion power bank is 8507.60, a bare printed circuit board is 8534.00, and a loose component such as a capacitor or connector has its own heading. Many electronics carry a 0 percent US duty rate under Chapter 85, which is exactly why a misclassification into a dutiable heading is expensive.
Anatomy of a code: a lithium-ion power bank
8507.60.00
- 85
- Chapter: electrical machinery and equipment. Note it is not classified as a "charger", which would push it toward heading 8504 and a different rate.
- 8507
- Heading: electric storage batteries. A power bank is a battery, so this is the heading, not the accessory chapter.
- 8507.60
- Subheading: lithium-ion. A nickel-metal-hydride pack drops to 8507.50 instead, and the chemistry is what decides it.
- .00+
- National digits: the US appends its 10-digit line in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, and lithium batteries also trigger dangerous-goods rules for shipping.
Where common electronics classify
A starting map, not a ruling. The heading turns on function and construction, so confirm your exact item with the classifier above before you file an entry.
8471.30
Laptops & tablets
Portable automatic data-processing machines under 10 kg.
8517.13
Smartphones
Telephones for cellular networks; the handset itself, not the charger.
8507.60
Power banks & batteries
Lithium-ion storage batteries, by chemistry.
8504.40
Chargers & power supplies
Static converters; a different heading from the battery they charge.
8534.00
Bare printed circuit boards
Unpopulated PCBs; a populated board often follows its host device.
8532 / 8541 / 8542
Loose components
Capacitors, diodes, and integrated circuits each have their own heading.
8528.52
Monitors & displays
Monitors capable of connecting to a data-processing machine.
8518
Headphones & speakers
Microphones, headphones and loudspeakers, by type.
8544 / 8536
Cables & connectors
Insulated wire by voltage; connectors and switches separately.
How to find the HS code for an electronic product
Start with function, because the Harmonized System classifies electronics by what a thing does. Ask three questions in order: what is the item's principal function, is it a finished good or a part, and what is its key construction detail (chemistry, voltage, whether it connects to a data-processing machine). A power bank is a battery before it is an "accessory"; a graphics card is a part of a computer before it is a "board". Get the function right and the heading usually follows. For the general method that applies to any product, see the Harmonized System code guide.
Finished device vs part vs component
This is where importers overpay or underpay. A finished device classifies on its own function. A part that is suitable for use solely or principally with one machine usually follows that machine's heading under the parts rules. A general-purpose component (a resistor, a connector, a screw) classifies in its own heading regardless of where it ends up. Splitting a bill of materials into these three buckets before you classify saves the most duty, because parts and finished goods can carry very different rates.
Why the wrong electronics code is expensive
Two failure modes, both quiet until they cost money. Classify a dutiable item into a duty-free heading and you underpay, which surfaces later as a bill for back duty plus interest and penalties on every entry you made. Classify a duty-free item into a dutiable one and you overpay silently on every shipment, sometimes for years. Because so much of Chapter 85 is free, the gap between the right and wrong heading on electronics is often the whole duty. Run the value through the import duty calculator once you have the code.
Electronics HS code questions, answered
What is the HS code for electronics?
There is no single HS code for "electronics". Most consumer electronics classify in Chapter 85 (electrical machinery) or Chapter 84 (computers and machines), and the exact heading depends on the item's function. A laptop is 8471.30, a smartphone is 8517.13, a power bank is 8507.60 and a bare circuit board is 8534.00.
What is the HS code for electronic components?
Loose electronic components each have their own heading rather than a shared "components" code. Capacitors sit in 8532, diodes and transistors in 8541, integrated circuits in 8542, and resistors in 8533. A component that is not solely dedicated to one machine keeps its own code even when it ships as part of a kit.
What HS chapter covers electronics?
Chapter 85 covers electrical machinery, equipment and parts, and it is where most electronics live. Chapter 84 covers computers, data-processing machines and mechanical appliances, so laptops, servers and printers fall there. Optical and measuring instruments move into Chapter 90.
Do electronics have import duty in the US?
Many electronics carry a 0 percent general duty rate in the US Harmonized Tariff Schedule, especially finished computing and telecom equipment in Chapters 84 and 85. That is not universal: some accessories, cables and consumer goods are dutiable, and additional tariffs can apply by country of origin, so confirm the rate for your exact code and origin.
What is the HS code for a PCB?
A bare, unpopulated printed circuit board classifies under 8534.00. Once components are mounted, a populated board is often treated as a part of the machine it belongs to and can follow that machine's heading under the parts rules, so a populated board is not automatically 8534.
Classify your electronics now, keep the rationale for your entry file.
Related: HS code lookup by product, HS codes for clothing, HS code for furniture.