HS Code 8505Electro-magnets; permanent magnets, intended permanent magnets; electro-magnetic, permanent magnet chucks, clamps, similar; electromagnetic couplings, clutches, brakes; electro-magnetic lifting heads

What HS code 8505 covers

Some are magnets themselves. Others are tools that use a magnet to hold, lift or drive something.

Think of a factory floor. A magnetic chuck or clamp holds a metal part while a machine cuts it. A lifting head picks up steel plates. A coupling, clutch or brake joins or stops a spinning shaft using an electro-magnet. All of these belong in this heading.

Parts of these goods are included too, when no other heading names them. The heading sits in Chapter 85 electrical machinery, so the goods are judged by how they work, not by what they are made of alone.

HS 8505 six-digit codes explained

Heading 8505 splits by the type of magnet and by what the item does. Here is each code in plain words.

• Think of ready-made metal magnets and metal pieces that will be magnetised later.
• 850519: the same kind of permanent magnets, but not made of metal. Magnets of other materials go here.
• These link or stop moving parts when current is switched on or off.
• Lifting heads, chucks and clamps that use magnetic force are the usual examples.

How to choose the right 8505 subheading

Start with one question: is the item a magnet, or a device that uses a magnet to do a job?

If it is a permanent magnet, check the material. A metal magnet goes to 850511. A magnet that is not metal goes to 850519. The same split applies to pieces that are meant to become permanent magnets after magnetisation.

If the item joins, releases or stops a shaft, look at 850520. If it holds or lifts work with magnetic force, or is a part that no other code in the heading names, look at 850590.

Do the descriptions match your product word for word? If you are unsure, check the product sheet and the exact customs wording. Many countries add extra digits after the six-digit code for their own tariff lines, so confirm the full code for your market. The HS code classifier can help you narrow it down.

8505 vs related headings in Chapter 85

Several nearby headings sound close to 8505, so goods are often placed in the wrong one.

Parts made for those machines sit in 8503. A magnet that is only a part inside a motor may follow the motor rules, so check how the item is described and sold. Transformers, static converters and inductors sit in 8504, even though they also use magnetic fields.

Electrical parts that are not named anywhere else in the chapter go to 8548. Use that heading only when 8505 and the other headings do not fit.

HS 8505 import and export data: who imports and exports electromagnets

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.

Use the 8505 or any of its four codes to open the shipment records for magnets, couplings and holding devices. You can also look up buyers of magnets or magnet suppliers from the links below.