HS Code 8703Motor cars and other motor vehicles; principally designed for the transport of persons (other than those of heading no. 8702), including station wagons and racing cars
14 six-digit codes · Heading 3 of 16 in Chapter 87 · World Customs Organization Harmonized System
HS code 8703 is the customs code for motor cars built mainly to carry people, including station wagons and racing cars. Here you can see how its subheadings split by engine and how to choose between them.
Heading 8703 is finely cut: 14 six-digit codes, 870310 to 870390, all of them under “Motor cars and other motor vehicles; principally designed for the transport of persons (other than those of heading no. 8702), including station wagons and racing cars”. At that depth it is the exact wording of the code, not of the heading, that settles a classification. The heading is number 3 of 16 in Chapter 87, Vehicles; other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories thereof, which runs to 98 six-digit codes in all.
Six-digit codes under heading 8703
| HS Code | Import–export description |
|---|---|
| 870310 | Vehicles; specially designed for travelling on snow, golf cars and similar vehicles |
| 870321 | Vehicles; with only spark-ignition internal combustion piston engine, cylinder capacity not over 1000cc |
| 870322 | Vehicles; with only spark-ignition internal combustion piston engine, cylinder capacity over 1000 but not over 1500cc |
| 870323 | Vehicles; with only spark-ignition internal combustion reciprocating piston engine, cylinder capacity over 1500 but not over 3000cc |
| 870324 | Vehicles; with only spark-ignition internal combustion reciprocating piston engine, cylinder capacity over 3000cc |
| 870331 | Vehicles; with only compression-ignition internal combustion piston engine (diesel or semi-diesel), cylinder capacity not over 1500cc |
| 870332 | Vehicles; with only compression-ignition internal combustion piston engine (diesel or semi-diesel), cylinder capacity over 1500 but not over 2500cc |
| 870333 | Vehicles; with only compression-ignition internal combustion piston engine (diesel or semi-diesel), cylinder capacity over 2500cc |
| 870340 | Vehicles; with both spark-ignition internal combustion piston engine and electric motor for propulsion, incapable of being charged by plugging to external source of electric power |
| 870350 | Vehicles; with both compression-ignition internal combustion piston engine (diesel or semi-diesel) and electric motor for propulsion, incapable of being charged by plugging to external source of electric power |
| 870360 | Vehicles; with both spark-ignition internal combustion piston engine and electric motor for propulsion, capable of being charged by plugging to external source of electric power |
| 870370 | Vehicles; with both compression-ignition internal combustion piston engine (diesel or semi-diesel) and electric motor for propulsion, capable of being charged by plugging to external source of electric power |
| 870380 | Vehicles; with only electric motor for propulsion |
| 870390 | Vehicles; for transport of persons (other than those of heading no. 8702) n.e.c. in heading no. 8703 |
What HS code 8703 covers
Heading 8703 is where passenger motor vehicles go in the Harmonized System. A vehicle made mainly for the transport of persons usually belongs here. Family cars, station wagons and racing cars all sit in this heading.
Customs tariff classification works from the exact wording of a code. For cars, the wording turns on how the engine works, whether the car can be charged from a plug, and how big the engine is. The six-digit subheadings follow those points.
HS 8703 subheadings by engine type
The six-digit subheadings are easiest to read in groups. Each group matches one kind of drive system.
- 870310: vehicles made for snow, plus golf cars and similar vehicles.
- 870321 to 870324: cars with only a spark-ignition engine (petrol), split by cylinder capacity from small to large.
- 870340 and 870350: hybrids that cannot be charged from an outside power source, one petrol and one diesel.
- 870360 and 870370: plug-in hybrids that can be charged from an outside power source, one petrol and one diesel.
- 870380: cars driven by an electric motor alone.
- 870390: other cars for people that the codes above do not name.
Electric, hybrid and plug-in cars under 8703
Electric vehicles and hybrids do not have a heading of their own. They are subheadings of 8703, and the dividing lines are clear.
A car with no combustion engine at all is an electric vehicle. A car with both a combustion engine and an electric motor is a hybrid. One question splits the hybrids: can the car be charged by plugging it in? If not, it is an ordinary hybrid. If yes, it is a plug-in hybrid. Then check whether the engine is petrol or diesel to find the exact code in the list above.
How to choose the right code, and 8703 vs 8704
Work through these questions in order. First, is the vehicle made to carry people, not goods? Next, does it have a combustion engine, an electric motor, or both? If both, can it be plugged in to charge? Last, for a petrol or diesel car with no electric motor, which cylinder capacity band does the engine fall in?
Many mistakes come from picking the wrong heading before the subheading. The split between 8703 and 8704 is purpose: people or cargo. These items are not in 8703:
- Buses and other public transport passenger vehicles: heading 8702.
- Bodies, including cabs: heading 8707.
- Motorcycles and mopeds: heading 8711.
HS code 8703 import and export data
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. Pick the exact car type from the groups above before you search.
Related
- Chapter 87 vehicles HS codes
- HS 8702 buses and passenger transport vehicles
- HS 8704 goods vehicles
- HS 8706 chassis fitted with engines
- HS 8707 vehicle bodies
- HS 8708 motor vehicle parts
- HS 8711 motorcycles
- All HS code chapters
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- Export data
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Nearby headings in Chapter 87
- 8701Tractors; (other than tractors of heading no 8709)12 codes
- 8702Vehicles; public transport passenger type5 codes
- 8704Vehicles; for the transport of goods13 codes
- 8705Special purpose motor vehicles; not those for the transport of persons or…5 codes
- 8706Chassis; fitted with engines, for the motor vehicles of heading no. 8701 to…1 code
- 8707Bodies; (including cabs) for the motor vehicles of heading no. 8701 to 87052 codes
- 8708Motor vehicles; parts and accessories, of heading no. 8701 to 870515 codes
- 8709Works trucks, self-propelled, (not fitted with lifting or handling…3 codes
- 8710Tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles; motorised, whether or not fitted…1 code
- 8711Motorcycles (including mopeds) and cycles; fitted with an auxiliary motor…7 codes
- 8712Bicycles and other cycles; including delivery tricycles, not motorised1 code
- 8713Carriages for disabled persons; whether or not motorised or otherwise…2 codes
Who ships under 8703?
EximDataX tracks the live import–export records filed under this heading and the 14 codes beneath it: named buyers, suppliers, quantities and values from official customs feeds.
Section XVII: Vehicles, Aircraft, Vessels and Transport Equipment, chapters 86–89.
HS Code 8703: common questions
What is HS code 8703?
It is the customs heading for motor cars and similar vehicles made mainly to carry people. It sits in Chapter 87 and covers station wagons and racing cars.
What is the HS code for electric cars?
Look at 870380, the subheading for a vehicle that runs on an electric motor alone.
What is the HS code for hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars?
Hybrids without a plug fall under 870340 or 870350. Plug-in hybrids fall under 870360 or 870370.
What is the difference between HS 8703 and 8704?
8703 is about moving people. 8704 is about moving goods.
Are buses classified under 8703?
No. Heading 8702 takes public transport passenger vehicles, so they are left out of 8703.
What HS code applies to car bodies and parts for 8703 vehicles?
Bodies go in 8707 and parts in 8708. A chassis fitted with an engine goes in 8706.
Which code covers golf cars and snow vehicles?
Both are grouped in subheading 870310, with similar vehicles.
See what your buyers are buying.Then decide.
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