HS Code 9015Surveying (including photogrammetrical surveying), hydrographic, oceanographic, hydrological, meteorological or geophysical instruments and appliances, excluding compasses, rangefinders

What HS code 9015 covers

Heading 9015 is about instruments that measure land, water, air and ground. Surveyors use them to find positions, heights and distances. Mapping teams use them to record the shape of the land from photographs.

The same heading also covers hydrographic, oceanographic, hydrological, meteorological and geophysical instruments. These study the sea floor, rivers, weather and the earth below the surface. Some traders call it HSN code 9015, and the six-digit codes are the same.

The heading sits in Chapter 90 and belongs to Section XVIII. Chapter 90 holds measuring and checking instruments, so many nearby headings look alike. The sections below help you tell them apart.

What each 9015 subheading means

Each six-digit code names one kind of product. Here is each one in plain words.

• 901510: rangefinders, which measure the distance to a target.
• 901520: theodolites and tachymeters (also spelled tacheometers), which measure angles and distances on a site.
• 901530: surveying levels, which show whether points are at the same height.
• 901540: photogrammetrical surveying instruments, which take measurements from photographs.

How to pick the right surveying hs code 9015 subheading

Start with what the product does. A device that gives distance to a target goes to 901510. A theodolite or tachymeter goes to 901520, and a level goes to 901530. If the tool takes measurements from photographs, look at 901540.

Instruments for water, weather or the ground usually fall in 901580, because that code is the catch-all for the heading. Check it last, after the specific codes.

Loose parts and accessories go to 901590. A complete instrument belongs in the code for the instrument itself. Do not use the parts code for a finished device.

One detail causes confusion. The heading title says rangefinders are excluded, yet 901510 is named Rangefinders. When you classify, work from the six-digit list, and ask your customs broker if a case is unclear. The HS code classifier can also help you narrow down a product.

What is not classified under 9015

Direction finding compasses are not in this heading. They sit with navigational instruments in heading 9014.

Drawing sets, protractors, micrometers, callipers and other length-measuring tools belong to heading 9017. Thermometers, barometers and hygrometers belong to heading 9025.

Instruments that check the flow, level or pressure of liquids and gases go to heading 9026, which expressly leaves out 9015. Revolution counters, speed indicators and tachometers go to heading 9029, which also leaves out 9015.

If a measuring tool fits no other heading, look at heading 9031, which is for measuring and checking instruments not named elsewhere. Parts that no other heading in the chapter names go to heading 9033.

Import and export data for HS 9015

Knowing the code is only half the job. Buyers, sellers and analysts also want to know who trades these goods. This is where shipment records help.

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. For surveying instruments, that means you can look up 9015 or one of its six-digit codes and see the companies behind the shipments.