HS Code 8459Machine-tools; (including way-type unit head machines) for drilling, boring, milling, threading or tapping by removing metal, other than lathes of heading no. 8458

What does HS code 8459 represent?

Heading 8459 is a group of machine-tools that shape metal by cutting material away. The jobs it names are drilling, boring, milling, threading and tapping. Way-type unit head machines are also placed here.

Both point to the same four digits. The heading sits in Section XVI, which covers machinery and electrical equipment, and inside Chapter 84 machinery.

One rule matters from the start. Lathes are not part of this heading. If your machine is a lathe, go to heading 8458.

The six-digit codes under 8459, grouped by machine type

The easiest way to read this heading is by the job the machine does. Most jobs have two codes. One is for numerically controlled machines, which most people call CNC. The other is for machines that are not numerically controlled.

• Way-type unit head machines: 845910
• Drilling machines: 845921 (numerically controlled) and 845929 (not numerically controlled)
• Boring-milling machines: 845931 (numerically controlled) and 845939 (not numerically controlled)
• Boring machines: 845941 (numerically controlled) and 845949 (not numerically controlled)
• Knee-type milling machines: 845951 (numerically controlled) and 845959 (not numerically controlled)
• Milling machines that are not knee-type: 845961 (numerically controlled) and 845969 (not numerically controlled)
• Threading or tapping machines: 845970, with no split between the two control types

How to pick the right 8459 code

Work through three questions in order. First, ask what the machine does. That answer picks the pair of codes.

Second, ask if the machine is numerically controlled. A machine run by stored numeric instructions takes the first code of the pair. A machine run by hand or by simple mechanical controls takes the other one.

Third, if the machine does milling, ask if it is knee-type. Knee-type is a milling machine design, and the codes keep it apart from other milling machines. So a CNC knee-type mill goes to 845951, while a CNC mill that is not knee-type goes to 845961. A drilling machine with no numerical control goes to 845929.

If the wording still feels unclear, try the HS code classifier. The exact words of the six-digit code decide the result, not the heading name alone.

8459 compared with nearby machine-tool headings

Many machine-tools look alike on paper. These are the headings most often confused with 8459.

• 8458: lathes for removing metal. They are excluded from 8459.
• 8456: machine-tools that work material by laser, ultrasonic, electro-discharge, electron beam or plasma processes, plus water-jet cutting machines.
• 8461: machine-tools for planing, shaping, slotting, broaching, gear cutting, sawing and similar work.
• 8466: parts and accessories made for machines of headings 8456 to 8465, such as work holders and tool holders.

Import and export data, buyers and suppliers for HS 8459

Customs records show who moves these machines across borders. They help you find buyers, check suppliers and watch a market.

EximDataX shows shipment-level import and export records from official customs sources. Coverage: 43 direct customs feeds plus 184 mirror-derived countries. Named buyers and named suppliers are available in 38 of the 43 direct markets. Most markets refresh weekly and some refresh daily.

You can search by HS code to see who imports and exports a product, and book a free demo.