HS Code 8549Electrical and electronic waste and scrap
11 six-digit codes · Heading 48 of 48 in Chapter 85 · World Customs Organization Harmonized System
HS code 8549 is the heading for e-waste: electrical and electronic waste and scrap, from spent batteries to worn-out circuit boards. This page shows how its subheadings split so you can pick the right one.
Heading 8549 closes Chapter 85, the last of its 48headings. Goods answering to “Electrical and electronic waste and scrap” carry 11 six-digit codes here, 854911 through 854999. The heading is number 48 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 8549
| HS Code | Import–export description |
|---|---|
| 854911 | Waste and scrap of lead-acid accumulators; spent lead-acid accumulators |
| 854912 | Waste and scrap; of primary cells, primary batteries and electric accumulators, spent or not, containing lead, cadmium or mercury, other than lead-acid accumulators |
| 854913 | Waste and scrap; of primary cells, primary batteries and electric accumulators, spent or not, sorted by chemical type and not containing lead, cadmium or mercury |
| 854914 | Waste and scrap; of primary cells, primary batteries and electric accumulators, spent or not, unsorted and not containing lead, cadmium or mercury |
| 854919 | Waste and scrap; of primary cells, primary batteries and electric accumulators, n.e.c. in item no 8549.1 |
| 854921 | Electrical and electronic waste and scrap; of a kind used principally for the recovery of precious metal, containing primary cells and batteries, electric accumulators, mercury-switches, glass from cathode ray tubes or other activated glass, or electrical |
| 854929 | Waste and scrap; of a kind used principally for the recovery of precious metal n.e.c. in item no 8549.21 |
| 854931 | Electrical and electronic waste and scrap; electrical and electronic assemblies and printed circuit boards, other than those used principally for the recovery of precious metal, containing primary cells and batteries, electric accumulators, mercury-switch |
| 854939 | Waste and scrap; electrical and electronic assemblies and printed circuit boards, other than those used principally for the recovery of precious metal n.e.c. in item no 8549.31 |
| 854991 | Waste and scrap; n.e.c. in heading no 8549 |
| 854999 | Waste and scrap; n.e.c. in item no 8549.91 |
What HS code 8549 covers
This heading is for goods that have reached the end of their life. They are waste, scrap or spent items that came from electrical and electronic products. Some tax sites call it HSN code 8549. The Harmonized System behind it is kept by the World Customs Organization.
The subheadings fall into four groups. The first is battery scrap. The second is e-waste sold for the metals inside it. The third is assemblies and circuit board scrap. The fourth is a catch-all group for everything else.
Two questions help you choose. What is the waste made of? And what is it going to be used for? The answers lead you to one group, and the sections below take each group in turn.
Battery and accumulator scrap: 854911 to 854919
These five codes cover battery scrap. Spent batteries are split by type and by what they contain. Lead-acid units have a code of their own. All other battery scrap depends on two things: whether it holds lead, cadmium or mercury, and whether it has been sorted by chemical type.
- 854912: scrap of primary cells, primary batteries and electric accumulators that holds lead, cadmium or mercury, with lead-acid accumulators left out.
- 854914: the same scrap, unsorted, with no lead, cadmium or mercury.
- 854919: battery scrap that fits none of the four codes above.
E-waste for precious metal recovery and circuit board scrap
Use 854921 when it contains batteries, accumulators, mercury-switches, glass from cathode ray tubes or other activated glass. Use 854929 for the rest of this group.
Two more codes are for electrical and electronic assemblies and printed circuit boards that are not in that group. Use 854931 when they hold the same hazardous parts. Use 854939 for the rest.
So for printed circuit board scrap, check the end use first. Any other use points to 854931 or 854939.
Waste that fits none of these goes to 854991. Use 854999 for whatever is left after that.
8549 vs new batteries, circuits and tubes
Heading 8549 takes waste and scrap only. A new battery is a finished product and sits elsewhere. New primary cells and batteries belong in 8506. New electric accumulators belong in 8507. Their spent or scrap forms go to 854911 through 854919.
Circuits follow the same logic. A new printed circuit belongs in 8534. Worn-out boards and assemblies fall under the scrap codes in this heading.
Tubes are a third case. Cathode-ray tubes as products sit in 8540. Only the glass found inside e-waste is part of the test for 854921. Parts that fit no other heading in the chapter go to 8548. If you are not sure which applies, try the HS code classifier.
HS 8549 import and export data
Knowing the code is half the job. The other half is finding who trades under it. 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 codes
- HS 8506 primary cells and batteries
- HS 8507 electric accumulators
- HS 8534 printed circuits
- HS 8540 cathode-ray tubes and valves
- HS 8548 electrical parts n.e.s.
- e-waste import data
- e-waste export data
- e-waste and scrap buyers
- e-waste and scrap suppliers
- HS code classifier
- Book a free demo
Nearby headings in Chapter 85
- 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
- 8540Thermionic, cold cathode or photo-cathode valves and tubes (e.g. vacuum…11 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
- 8547Insulating fittings; for electrical machines, appliances, equipment…3 codes
- 8548Electrical parts of machinery or apparatus; not specified or elsewhere…1 code
Who ships under 8549?
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 8549: common questions
What is HS code 8549?
It is the four-digit code for e-waste and similar scrap. Under it sit subheadings for batteries, circuit boards and other electrical waste. It is also written as HSN code 8549.
What is the HS code for spent lead-acid batteries?
Use 854911. It is the code for used-up lead-acid units, whether you call them spent batteries or scrap.
Which HS code covers battery scrap containing lead, cadmium or mercury?
Use 854912. The one exception is lead-acid, which always goes to 854911.
What HS code is used for printed circuit board scrap?
There is no single code. Start with 854931 and 854939. Move to 854921 and 854929 if the boards are sold to recover metals.
What is the difference between 854921 and 854931?
Both can hold batteries or mercury-switches. The split is end use. 854921 is for precious metal recovery, while 854931 is for other assemblies and boards.
Where can I find HS 8549 import and export data?
Search by this HS code on EximDataX to see the live records for goods under the heading. The data section above explains where they come from.
See what your buyers are buying.Then decide.
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