HS Code 8705Special purpose motor vehicles; not those for the transport of persons or goods (e.g. breakdown lorries, road sweeper lorries, spraying lorries, mobile workshops, mobile radiological units etc)

What this heading covers

In this heading, the vehicle itself is the tool. A crane lorry lifts loads. A fire fighting vehicle puts out fires. A concrete-mixer lorry mixes and pours concrete. That is why these machines sit apart from ordinary trucks and cars.

Use the heading when the special job defines the machine. If you only know a product name, such as a mobile crane or a road sweeper, read the subcodes below. You can also check a product with the HS code classifier.

Subcodes 870510 to 870590 in plain words

Each subcode names one type of special purpose vehicle. People often search by everyday name, so the common names are given here.

• 870510: crane lorries. This is the code to check for a mobile crane mounted on a lorry.
• 870520: mobile drilling derricks. These carry the tall frame used to drill holes.
• 870530: fire fighting vehicles, such as fire engines.
• 870540: concrete-mixer lorries. They carry a mixing drum and deliver wet concrete.
• 870590: the catch-all code. Any other special purpose vehicle with no code of its own also goes here.

How to classify special purpose vehicles: 8705 vs 8704, 8706, 8709

Start with the job of the vehicle. If it mainly carries people, look at 8703 for cars or 8702 for public transport types. If it mainly carries goods, look at 8704. If it does neither, this heading is the place to look.

Then check what you are shipping. Some nearby headings cover only a piece of a vehicle, or a different kind of machine:

• 8706: chassis fitted with engines, for the motor vehicles of headings 8701 to 8705.
• 8707: bodies, including cabs, for those same vehicles.
• 8709: self-propelled works trucks with no lifting or handling equipment. They move goods over short distances in factories and warehouses.
• 8716: trailers, semi-trailers and other vehicles that are not mechanically propelled.

HS code 8705 import and export data

A code tells you what a product is. Trade records tell you who moves 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.

You can look at the whole heading or at one subcode, such as crane lorries or fire fighting vehicles. Then use the buyer and supplier pages to build a contact list.

Duty rates are not set by the code alone. They differ by country and by national tariff line. Check the customs tariff of the destination country before you quote a price.

Related headings in Chapter 87

Special purpose vehicles often share a deal with other vehicle headings. A buyer of crane lorries may also look at tractors under 8701. Someone fitting out a vehicle may need chassis, bodies or parts. Use the links on this page to move between these headings, or return to the full list of vehicle codes.