HS Code 8517Telephone sets, including smartphones and other telephones for cellular/wireless networks; other apparatus for the transmission or reception of voice, images or other data (including wired/wireless networks), excluding items of 8443, 8525, 8527, or 8528

What is HS code 8517?

This includes gear on wired networks and on wireless networks. You may also see it searched as HSN code 8517 or HTS code 8517. These names all point to the same base heading in the Harmonized System.

The heading belongs to Section XVI, which groups machinery and electrical equipment. Inside it, it sits in Chapter 85 electrical machinery. Think of it as the telecom corner of that chapter. Everyday products here include smartphones, cordless home phones, mobile network base stations, routers, network switches and antennas.

How to choose the right 8517 subheading

The six-digit codes fall into three groups. Pick the group first. Then pick the code inside it. Always read the full wording of the code, because the small differences decide the result.

• Telephone sets: use 851711 for line telephones with cordless handsets. Use 851718 only when a telephone set fits none of these.
• This is where routers and network switches belong. 851769 is the catch-all for other transmission or reception apparatus.
• Parts: 851771 covers aerials, aerial reflectors and parts made for use with them. 851779 covers the other parts of communication apparatus, so a mobile phone part that is not an antenna usually points here.

What is excluded from HS code 8517

The heading text ends with a short list of items that do not belong here: 8443, 8525, 8527 and 8528. Each of those headings has its own rules.

Heading 8525 is for transmission apparatus used in radio or television broadcasting, plus television cameras, digital cameras and video camera recorders. Heading 8528 is for monitors, projectors and television reception apparatus. If your product is a camera, a radio or a screen, start with those pages.

Parts have a similar rule. Parts made solely or mainly for the apparatus in headings 8524 to 8528 go to heading 8529. Do not file them under 851779. If you are still unsure, try the HS code classifier.

Related headings in Chapter 85

Several neighbours are easy to mix up with 8517. Heading 8518 covers microphones, loudspeakers, headphones and earphones. A headset sold with a phone may still belong there, so check the wording.

Heading 8526 covers radar, radio navigation aids and radio remote control apparatus. Heading 8544 covers insulated wire, cable and optical fibre cables. A network cable is not a network device, so it goes to 8544. Heading 8525 and heading 8529 are explained above. You can browse the rest of the chapter from the list of sibling headings.

Find importers and exporters of HS 8517 products

Knowing the right code is the first step. The next question is usually who buys and sells these 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.

Start with the import data or export data pages. Use buyer data or supplier data when you want to find the companies themselves.