HS Code 8540Thermionic, cold cathode or photo-cathode valves and tubes (e.g. vacuum, vapour, gas filled valves and tubes, mercury arc rectifying valves and tubes, cathode-ray and television camera tubes)
11 six-digit codes · Heading 39 of 48 in Chapter 85 · World Customs Organization Harmonized System
HS code 8540 is where customs puts electron tubes, from vacuum tubes and CRT screens to camera tubes and microwave tubes. Parts of these tubes sit here too.
Heading 8540 is finely cut: 11 six-digit codes, 854011 to 854099, all of them under “Thermionic, cold cathode or photo-cathode valves and tubes (e.g. vacuum, vapour, gas filled valves and tubes, mercury arc rectifying valves and tubes, cathode-ray and television camera tubes)”. At that depth it is the exact wording of the code, not of the heading, that settles a classification. The heading is number 39 of 48 in 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, which runs to 296 six-digit codes in all.
Six-digit codes under heading 8540
| HS Code | Import–export description |
|---|---|
| 854011 | Tubes; cathode-ray television picture tubes, including video monitor cathode-ray tubes, colour |
| 854012 | Tubes; cathode-ray television picture tubes, including video monitor cathode-ray tubes, monochrome |
| 854020 | Tubes; television camera tubes, image converters and intensifiers, other photo-cathode tubes |
| 854040 | Tubes; data/graphic display tubes, monochrome; data/graphic display tubes, colour, with a phosphor dot screen pitch smaller than 0.4mm |
| 854060 | Tubes; cathode ray, n.e.c. in heading no. 8540 |
| 854071 | Tubes; microwave, magnetrons, excluding grid-controlled tubes |
| 854079 | Tubes; microwave (for example klystrons, travelling wave tubes, carlinotrons), excluding magnetrons and grid-controlled tubes |
| 854081 | Valves and tubes; receiver or amplifier |
| 854089 | Valves and tubes; n.e.c. in heading no. 8540 |
| 854091 | Tubes; parts of cathode-ray tubes |
| 854099 | Valves and tubes; parts of the valves and tubes of heading no. 8540, excluding parts of cathode-ray tubes |
What HS code 8540 covers
Heading 8540 is the home of electron tubes. These are devices that control a flow of electrons. They are used in screens, cameras and microwave equipment.
Think of the goods in three kinds. Some tubes show a picture or data. Some capture or boost an image. Others generate microwaves or work as receiver and amplifier valves. Parts have their own lines.
The six-digit codes fall into five groups:
- Picture and display tubes: 854011, 854012, 854040 and 854060
- Camera tubes, image converters and image intensifiers: 854020
- Microwave tubes: 854071 and 854079
- Receiver, amplifier and other valves: 854081 and 854089
- Parts: 854091 and 854099
How to pick the right 8540 subheading
Start with what the tube does. Then read the code wording closely, because small differences decide the answer.
Monochrome ones fit there. Colour ones fit only if the phosphor dot screen pitch is finer than the limit written in the code text, so check that wording first. A cathode-ray tube that fits none of these falls into 854060, the not elsewhere specified line.
For microwave tubes, test for a magnetron first. A magnetron is 854071. Neither line takes grid-controlled tubes.
For parts, the split follows the tube type. Parts of every other valve and tube in the heading are 854099.
Six digits are only the base. Many countries add more digits in their national tariffs. If you are unsure, try the HS code classifier, then check the national tariff line for your destination.
8540 vs nearby headings 8539, 8541 and 8542
Buyers often mix up 8540 with its neighbours. The product itself decides the heading.
Filament and discharge lamps, arc lamps and LED light sources belong in 8539. Diodes, transistors and photovoltaic cells belong in 8541. None of these are valves or tubes, so they stay out of 8540.
Screens can add to the confusion. Flat panel display modules are in 8524. Monitors and projectors are in 8528. Parts for the apparatus of headings 8524 to 8528 are in 8529. A cathode-ray tube sold on its own is still a tube, so it stays in 8540.
HS 8540 import and export data
Cathode ray tubes import export records, and records for the other tubes above, are easier to judge when you see real shipments. 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.
Related
- Chapter 85 electrical machinery
- HS 8539 electric lamps
- HS 8541 semiconductor devices
- HS 8542 integrated circuits
- HS 8528 monitors and projectors
- HS 8524 flat panel display modules
- HS 8529 parts for 8524-8528 apparatus
- HS 8540 import data
- HS 8540 export data
- Find buyers of valves and tubes
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- HS code classifier
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- All HS code chapters
Nearby headings in Chapter 85
- 8534Circuits; printed1 code
- 8535Electrical apparatus for switching, protecting electrical circuits, for…6 codes
- 8536Electrical apparatus for switching, protecting electrical circuits, for…10 codes
- 8537Boards, panels, consoles, desks, cabinets, bases with apparatus of heading…2 codes
- 8538Electrical apparatus; parts suitable for use solely or principally with the…2 codes
- 8539Lamps; electric filament or discharge lamps, including sealed beam lamp units…12 codes
- 8541Semiconductor devices (e.g. diodes, transistors, semiconductor based…12 codes
- 8542Electronic integrated circuits5 codes
- 8543Electrical machines and apparatus; having individual functions, not specified…6 codes
- 8544Insulated wire, cable and other electric conductors, connector fitted or not…8 codes
- 8545Carbon electrodes, carbon brushes, lamp carbons, battery carbons and other…4 codes
- 8546Electrical insulators of any material3 codes
Who ships under 8540?
EximDataX tracks the live import–export records filed under this heading and the 11 codes beneath it: named buyers, suppliers, quantities and values from official customs feeds.
Section XVI: Machinery, Electrical Equipment and Parts, chapters 84–85.
HS Code 8540: common questions
What is HS code 8540?
It is the four-digit customs heading for electron valves and tubes.
What is the HS code for cathode-ray tubes?
Display tubes are 854040, other cathode-ray tubes are 854060, and their parts are 854091.
What is the HS code for a magnetron?
A magnetron is 854071. This line is for microwave tubes that are magnetrons, and it leaves out grid-controlled tubes.
Which HS code covers klystrons and travelling wave tubes?
Both are 854079, together with carlinotrons.
What is the HS code for vacuum tubes?
A receiver or amplifier valve is 854081, and a valve or tube not named elsewhere in the heading is 854089.
Are semiconductors or LED lamps classified in 8540?
No. Semiconductor devices are in heading 8541, and electric lamps with LED light sources are in heading 8539.
See what your buyers are buying.Then decide.
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