Chapter 85 Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers; television image and sound recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories of such articles

What HS Code 85 Covers

The chapter also covers sound recorders, sound reproducers, and television image and sound equipment. Think of anything with a motor, a battery, a circuit board, a screen or a wire.

The chapter is part of Section XVI. It sits next to Chapter 84, which holds the non-electrical machines. Together they cover most of the machinery that is traded across borders.

The Harmonized System is a global naming scheme for traded goods. Countries agree on the first six digits, which is why you will also hear people ask for the HSN code for chapter 85. Each country may add more digits after that for its own tariff classification. This page stays at the shared four-digit and six-digit level.

Chapter 85 Headings by Product Group

The headings run in a loose order from heavy power equipment to small electronic parts. Grouping them makes the list easier to scan. Each group below links to the heading pages that hold the full code lists.

• Power equipment: electric motors and generators 8501, generating sets 8502, their parts 8503, and transformers and static converters 8504. Magnets sit in 8505.
• Batteries: primary cells in 8506 and lithium-ion accumulators and other rechargeable types in 8507.
• Home and personal appliances: vacuum cleaners 8508, kitchen appliances 8509, shavers and clippers 8510, and heaters, irons, microwaves and toasters in 8516.
• Telecom, audio, video and displays: telephones and network equipment 8517, microphones and speakers 8518, recorders 8519 to 8522, storage media 8523, display modules 8524, cameras and transmitters 8525, radar 8526, radios 8527, monitors and televisions 8528, and parts 8529.
• Signalling and switching: traffic and safety equipment 8530, alarms 8531, capacitors 8532, resistors 8533, printed circuits 8534, switchgear 8535 to 8537, and parts 8538.
• Electronics: tubes and valves 8540, semiconductor devices and LEDs 8541, and electronic integrated circuits 8542.
• Cables and insulation: insulated wire and cable 8544, carbon articles 8545, insulators 8546 and insulating fittings 8547.
• Other headings cover vehicle electrics (8511 and 8512), portable lamps (8513), industrial furnaces (8514) and welding machines (8515).

How to Classify Electrical Goods Under Chapter 85

Start with what the product does, not what it is made of. A product that works by electricity usually belongs in Chapter 85. A machine that works mainly by mechanical means usually belongs in Chapter 84. If you are unsure, read the Chapter 84 page and compare the two.

Parts need care. Several headings are made only for parts, such as 8503, 8522, 8529 and 8538. Each one names the machines its parts must be used with. A part that fits only one kind of machine goes to that machine's parts heading. Check the heading text before you pick.

Be careful with catch-all headings. Heading 8543 holds electrical machines with their own function that appear nowhere else in the chapter. Heading 8548 holds electrical parts not named elsewhere. Use them last, only after you have ruled out every closer heading.

Voltage can also decide the heading. Switching and protection gear for more than 1000 volts goes to 8535. The same kind of gear for 1000 volts or less goes to 8536. Flat panel display modules have their own heading, 8524, apart from finished monitors and televisions in 8528.

If you still cannot decide, try the HS code classifier. Then confirm the final code with your customs broker, because each country sets its own duty and tax rules.

HS Code 85 Import and Export Data: Buyers and Suppliers

Knowing the code is only half the job. The next step is finding who trades the goods.

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.