Subheading · Chapter 69 · Heading 6909
6909.12: Articles having a hardness equivalent to 9 or more on the Mohs scale
6909.12 is a six-digit subheading of heading 6909, ceramic wares for laboratory, chemical or other technical uses, chapter 69.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 6909 12 00 00 Articles having a hardness equivalent to 9 or more on the mohs scale 4%
Additional duties and import rules
Charges on top of the customs duty, and rules the goods must meet at the border.
Additional duties and charges 3
- Duty suspensionAutonomous tariff suspension Free
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- In force
- until 31 December 2026
- Legal act
- 2020 No. 1435
- Documents
- 9Y12
- Duty suspensionSuspension - goods for certain categories of ships, boats and other vessels and for drilling or production platforms Free
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- Legal act
- 2020 No. 1431
- Documents
- C990 End use authorisation ships and platforms (Column 8c, Annex A of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/2446)
- Duty suspensionAirworthiness tariff suspension Free
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- Legal act
- S.I. 2018/1249
- Documents
- C119 Authorised Release Certificate — EASA Form 1 (Appendix I to Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 748/2012), or equivalent certificate
Import requirements 4
- Prohibition or restrictionImport prohibition
- Applies to goods from
- North Korea
- Legal act
- S.I. 2019/411
- Import controlRestriction on entry into free circulation
- Applies to goods from
- Iraq, Ukraine
- Legal act
- S.I. 2020/707, S.I. 2022/395
- Documents
- 9009
- 9010
- 9017
- Import controlImport control on restricted goods and technologies
- Applies to goods from
- Iran, North Korea
- Legal act
- S.I. 2019/461, S.I. 2019/411
- Documents
- Y966 Goods other than those described in the MG footnotes linked to the measure (Missile Technology Control Regime list - Annex III of Reg. (EU) 267/2012)
- Y920 Goods other than those described in the footnotes linked to the measure
- Import controlImport control - Waste
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- Legal act
- S.I. 2019/590
- Documents
- C672 Information document accompanying shipments of waste as mentioned in Regulation (EU) 2024/1157 – Article 18 and Annex VII
- C669 Notification document as mentioned in Regulation (EU) 2024/1157 - Article 5 and Annex IA
- Y923 Product not subjected to the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2024/1157
- C670 Movement document as mentioned in Regulation (EU) 2024/1157 – Article 5 and Annex IB
Preferential rates by country
| Agreement or scheme | Countries | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| standard rate (no agreement) | — | 4% |
| DCTS Comprehensive | Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin and 38 moreAfghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo - Kinshasa, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Laos, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé & Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia | Free |
| European Union (including code "EU") | Free | |
| DCTS Enhanced | Algeria, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Congo - Brazzaville and 13 moreAlgeria, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Congo - Brazzaville, Cook Islands, Kyrgyzstan, Micronesia, Mongolia, Nigeria, Niue, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu | Free |
| CARIFORUM | Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize and 10 moreAntigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago | Free |
| OCTs (Overseas Countries and Territories) | Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands and 7 moreAnguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands, St Helena, Turks & Caicos Islands | Free |
| Central America | Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama | Free |
| SADC EPA | Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia | Free |
| Eastern and Southern Africa States | Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe | Free |
| CPTPP | Brunei, Malaysia | Free |
| UK–Andorra agreement | Andorra | Free |
| UK–Albania agreement | Albania | Free |
| UK–Australia agreement | Australia | Free |
| UK–Canada agreement | Canada | Free |
| UK–Switzerland agreement | Switzerland | Free |
| UK–Côte d’Ivoire agreement | Côte d’Ivoire | Free |
| UK–Chile agreement | Chile | Free |
| UK–Cameroon agreement | Cameroon | Free |
| UK–Colombia agreement | Colombia | Free |
| UK–Ceuta & Melilla agreement | Ceuta & Melilla | Free |
| UK–Ecuador agreement | Ecuador | Free |
| UK–Egypt agreement | Egypt | Free |
| UK–Fiji agreement | Fiji | Free |
| UK–Faroe Islands agreement | Faroe Islands | Free |
| UK–Georgia agreement | Georgia | Free |
| UK–Ghana agreement | Ghana | Free |
| DCTS Standard | Indonesia | Free |
| UK–Israel agreement | Israel | Free |
| UK–India agreement | India | Free |
| UK–Iceland agreement | Iceland | Free |
| UK–Jordan agreement | Jordan | Free |
| UK–Japan agreement | Japan | Free |
| UK–Kenya agreement | Kenya | Free |
| UK–South Korea agreement | South Korea | Free |
| UK–Lebanon agreement | Lebanon | Free |
| UK–Liechtenstein agreement | Liechtenstein | Free |
| UK–Morocco agreement | Morocco | Free |
| UK–Moldova agreement | Moldova | Free |
| UK–North Macedonia agreement | North Macedonia | Free |
| UK–Mexico agreement | Mexico | Free |
| UK–Norway agreement | Norway | Free |
| UK–New Zealand agreement | New Zealand | Free |
| UK–Peru agreement | Peru | Free |
| UK–Papua New Guinea agreement | Papua New Guinea | Free |
| UK–Palestinian Territories agreement | Palestinian Territories | Free |
| UK–Serbia agreement | Serbia | Free |
| UK–Solomon Islands agreement | Solomon Islands | Free |
| UK–Singapore agreement | Singapore | Free |
| UK–San Marino agreement | San Marino | Free |
| UK–Tunisia agreement | Tunisia | Free |
| UK–Türkiye agreement | Türkiye | Free |
| UK–Ukraine agreement | Ukraine | Free |
| UK–Vietnam agreement | Vietnam | Free |
| UK–Samoa agreement | Samoa | Free |
| UK–Kosovo agreement | Kosovo | Free |
| UK–South Africa agreement | South Africa | Free |
UK: imports by month
Main suppliers, last 12 months
| Country | Value | Share | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
 Japan | £10.5m | 35.3% | +56.4% |
 United States | £10.3m | 34.8% | -9.6% |
 Germany | £2.7m | 9% | +4.9% |
 Czechia | £1.7m | 5.6% | +12.4% |
 China | £1.4m | 4.7% | -27.2% |
| United Kingdom | £676k | 2.3% | -20.7% |
 France | £664k | 2.2% | +19.9% |
 Austria | £556k | 1.9% | +112.1% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
EU
TürkiyeWorld trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$280kUS$280k+US$6m+US$28m+> US$148m
Exports: 88
- Japan: US$295m
- China: US$259m
- Germany: US$148m
- United States: US$113m
- Switzerland: US$93m
- South Korea: US$70m
- Austria: US$36m
- Mexico: US$32m
- Czechia: US$28m
- Hungary: US$25m
- Poland: US$21m
- Netherlands: US$17m
- Italy: US$15m
- United Kingdom: US$14m
- Taiwan: US$12m
- Singapore: US$12m
- Vietnam: US$9m
- Ireland: US$8m
- Belgium: US$8m
- France: US$7m
- Spain: US$6m
- Thailand: US$5m
- India: US$4m
- Malaysia: US$3m
- Türkiye: US$3m
- Israel: US$3m
- Brazil: US$2m
- Croatia: US$2m
- Bulgaria: US$2m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$2m
- South Africa: US$2m
- Sweden: US$2m
- Indonesia: US$2m
- Luxembourg: US$1m
- Denmark: US$1m
- Australia: US$702k
- Canada: US$554k
- Peru: US$507k
- Portugal: US$409k
- Finland: US$381k
- Russia: US$280k
- Chile: US$243k
- Slovenia: US$240k
- Ukraine: US$225k
- Kazakhstan: US$217k
- Uzbekistan: US$196k
- Philippines: US$170k
- Bosnia & Herzegovina: US$166k
- New Zealand: US$161k
- North Macedonia: US$119k
- United Arab Emirates: US$87k
- Slovakia: US$64k
- Norway: US$40k
- Seychelles: US$35k
- Romania: US$35k
- Morocco: US$30k
- Costa Rica: US$21k
- Curaçao: US$13k
- Colombia: US$11k
- Greece: US$11k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$532kUS$532k+US$5m+US$19m+> US$65m
Imports: 157
- China: US$193m
- United States: US$168m
- Germany: US$119m
- Japan: US$81m
- Taiwan: US$65m
- South Korea: US$44m
- Netherlands: US$40m
- Mexico: US$30m
- Singapore: US$29m
- United Kingdom: US$28m
- Italy: US$27m
- Vietnam: US$26m
- Australia: US$24m
- Türkiye: US$20m
- France: US$20m
- India: US$19m
- Czechia: US$18m
- Spain: US$18m
- Indonesia: US$18m
- Thailand: US$16m
- Russia: US$16m
- Saudi Arabia: US$15m
- Switzerland: US$14m
- Brazil: US$14m
- Austria: US$14m
- Poland: US$12m
- Hungary: US$12m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$10m
- Denmark: US$10m
- Belgium: US$9m
- Canada: US$8m
- Finland: US$8m
- United Arab Emirates: US$8m
- Malaysia: US$7m
- Chile: US$6m
- Sweden: US$6m
- Ukraine: US$6m
- Peru: US$6m
- Kazakhstan: US$5m
- Israel: US$4m
- Bangladesh: US$4m
- Argentina: US$4m
- Ireland: US$4m
- Romania: US$4m
- Algeria: US$4m
- Philippines: US$4m
- Bulgaria: US$3m
- Nigeria: US$3m
- South Africa: US$3m
- Egypt: US$2m
- Slovakia: US$2m
- Norway: US$2m
- Iran: US$2m
- Macao SAR China: US$1m
- Uzbekistan: US$1m
- Qatar: US$1m
- Liberia: US$1m
- Slovenia: US$1m
- Morocco: US$1m
- Portugal: US$1m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan | US$295m | 23.2% |
| 2 | China | US$259m | 20.4% |
| 3 | Germany | US$148m | 11.7% |
| 4 | United States | US$113m | 8.9% |
| 5 |  Switzerland | US$93m | 7.4% |
| 6 |  South Korea | US$70m | 5.5% |
| 7 | Austria | US$36m | 2.9% |
| 8 |  Mexico | US$32m | 2.5% |
| 9 | Czechia | US$28m | 2.2% |
| 10 |  Hungary | US$25m | 2% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | US$193m | 15.2% |
| 2 | United States | US$168m | 13.2% |
| 3 | Germany | US$119m | 9.4% |
| 4 | Japan | US$81m | 6.4% |
| 5 |  Taiwan | US$65m | 5.1% |
| 6 | South Korea | US$44m | 3.5% |
| 7 |  Netherlands | US$40m | 3.1% |
| 8 | Mexico | US$30m | 2.4% |
| 9 |  Singapore | US$29m | 2.3% |
| 10 | United Kingdom | US$28m | 2.2% |
Binding rulings for similar goods 5
Decisions of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CROSS) and HMRC (Advance Tariff Rulings) on goods classified here. A ruling binds only its holder, but shows how the authorities classify similar goods. The descriptions are the authorities’ own, in English.
- N285514 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of ceramic pistons and sleeves from Germany.
- N271512 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of a ceramic seal from China.
- 600015780 HMRC
Mechanical seal faces. The seal faces are components of a mechanical seal assembly used in various industrial applications to prevent leakage. Manufactured from sintered silicon (SiC) which is generally rated at 9 to 9.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness is resistance to wear, corrosion and also…
- 600014697 HMRC
The product is an alumina ceramic mechanical seal face and is one of the two seal faces in a mechanical seal assembly. Manufactured from pressed and sintered alumina ceramic powder, the seal face has a Mohs hardness value of 9, and can withstand temperatures above 1700ºC. Features a lapped sealing…
- 600014283 HMRC
The product is a Silicon carbide mechanical seal face and is one of the two seal faces in a mechanical seal assembly. Manufactured from pressed and sintered silicon carbide powder, and machined to the extract design requirements. The seal face with Mohs Hardness value over of 9, features a lapped…
Subheading 6909.12 is a single line in the UK Global Tariff, where the duty is 4%.
The EU Combined Nomenclature has one tariff line for subheading 6909.12; the duty is 5%.
Goods from 174 countries can enter the UK at a preferential rate instead of the standard 4%; 174 of them pay no duty at all, for example under DCTS Comprehensive or European Union.
In the 12 months to August 2026, the UK imported these goods worth £29.7m (up 8% on the year before), at an average of £90.95 per kg; Japan supplied 35%, followed by United States.
World trade in these goods reached US$1bn in 2024, down 2% on 2023.
Japan was the largest exporter with 23.2% of the total, ahead of China.
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for articles having a hardness equivalent to 9 or more on the Mohs scale?
Articles having a hardness equivalent to 9 or more on the Mohs scale fall under HS subheading 6909.12, part of heading 6909, in section XIII of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on articles having a hardness equivalent to 9 or… in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 6909.12 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 4%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
What is the import duty on articles having a hardness equivalent to 9 or… in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 6909.12 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 5%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most articles having a hardness equivalent to 9 or…?
Japan, with US$295m in 2024 (23.2% of world exports).
Which countries can export these goods to the UK duty-free?
174 countries pay no duty under a trade agreement or preference scheme, among them partners under DCTS Comprehensive, European Union, DCTS Enhanced. The goods must meet the agreement’s rules of origin and the importer needs proof of origin; otherwise the standard rate of 4% applies. Pick a country above to see its rate.
Where does the UK import these goods from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were Japan (35%), United States (35%) and Germany (9%), out of total imports of £29.7m.