Chapter

84

Chapter 84: Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof

Chapter 84 of the Harmonized System has 86 headings and belongs to section XVI (machinery and mechanical appliances; electrical equipment; parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles).

Duty rates compared

UK Free – 8% Third-country duty 1294 tariff lines · average 0.8% EU Free – 9.7% Third-country duty 897 tariff lines · average 1.9% Türkiye Free – 50% Third-country duty 1374 tariff lines · average 1.9% USA Free – 9.9% General (MFN) 824 tariff lines · average 1.4% · 1× specific or compound duty Canada Free – 9% Third-country duty 1109 tariff lines · average 0.3% Mexico Free – 35% Third-country duty 1324 tariff lines · average 4.3% Brazil Free – 25% Third-country duty 1121 tariff lines · average 15.7% Argentina Free – 35% Third-country duty 2372 tariff lines · average 12.1% Peru Free – 11% Third-country duty 778 tariff lines · average 0.4% New Zealand Free – 5% Third-country duty 1690 tariff lines · average 2.5% · 10× specific or compound duty Japan Free Third-country duty 612 tariff lines Taiwan Free – 17.5% Third-country duty 899 tariff lines · average 3% GCC Free – 5% Third-country duty 1051 tariff lines · average 4.3% Switzerland Free Third-country duty 538 tariff lines Norway Free Third-country duty 673 tariff lines North Macedonia Free – 15% Third-country duty 946 tariff lines · average 4.2% Nigeria 5% – 20% Third-country duty 572 tariff lines · average 6.7%

Headings 86

EU: imports by month

last 12 months€350.2bn+18.6% · previous 12 months
Average import price€20.25 per kg
Jan 2024: €21.3bnFeb 2024: €21.2bnMar 2024: €23.2bnApr 2024: €24.6bnMay 2024: €24.5bnJun 2024: €22.3bnJul 2024: €25.5bnAug 2024: €22.8bnSept 2024: €23.1bnOct 2024: €25.3bnNov 2024: €24.8bnDec 2024: €21.9bnJan 2025: €24.5bnFeb 2025: €23.6bnMar 2025: €26.6bnApr 2025: €26.1bnMay 2025: €24.8bnJun 2025: €25.3bnJul 2025: €26.2bnAug 2025: €23.2bnSept 2025: €25.7bnOct 2025: €28.3bnNov 2025: €26.6bnDec 2025: €27.5bnJan 2026: €26.4bnFeb 2026: €25.8bnMar 2026: €32.5bnApr 2026: €31.4bnMay 2026: €29.6bnJun 2026: €32bnJul 2026: €33.9bnAug 2026: €30.5bn 202420252026
Data up to August 2026 (provisional) · Monthly data: Eurostat Comext (CC BY 4.0), HMRC (OGL v3.0)

World trade in 2024

84 · US$3tn

Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$38mUS$38m+US$985m+US$27bn+> US$103bn

Exports: 225
  1. China: US$626bn
  2. United States: US$259bn
  3. Germany: US$257bn
  4. Japan: US$144bn
  5. Mexico: US$129bn
  6. Italy: US$111bn
  7. Taiwan: US$103bn
  8. South Korea: US$84bn
  9. United Kingdom: US$80bn
  10. Netherlands: US$80bn
  11. Vietnam: US$78bn
  12. France: US$73bn
  13. Thailand: US$61bn
  14. Poland: US$49bn
  15. Singapore: US$48bn
  16. Malaysia: US$43bn
  17. Czechia: US$42bn
  18. Canada: US$41bn
  19. India: US$35bn
  20. Austria: US$35bn
  21. Sweden: US$30bn
  22. Spain: US$29bn
  23. Türkiye: US$27bn
  24. Switzerland: US$25bn
  25. Hungary: US$25bn
  26. Belgium: US$23bn
  27. Hong Kong SAR China: US$22bn
  28. Denmark: US$15bn
  29. Philippines: US$14bn
  30. Slovakia: US$13bn
  31. Brazil: US$13bn
  32. Finland: US$12bn
  33. Romania: US$12bn
  34. Ireland: US$11bn
  35. Indonesia: US$9bn
  36. Portugal: US$6bn
  37. South Africa: US$6bn
  38. Israel: US$5bn
  39. Norway: US$5bn
  40. Slovenia: US$5bn
  41. Australia: US$5bn
  42. Russia: US$4bn
  43. United Arab Emirates: US$4bn
  44. Bulgaria: US$4bn
  45. Saudi Arabia: US$3bn
  46. Serbia: US$3bn
  47. Luxembourg: US$3bn
  48. Lithuania: US$2bn
  49. Croatia: US$2bn
  50. Estonia: US$2bn
  51. Greece: US$2bn
  52. Kazakhstan: US$2bn
  53. New Zealand: US$2bn
  54. Argentina: US$1bn
  55. Tunisia: US$1bn
  56. Latvia: US$998m
  57. Ukraine: US$985m
  58. Morocco: US$943m
  59. Bahrain: US$875m
  60. Bosnia & Herzegovina: US$791m

Top exporters

RankCountryValueShare
1 China US$626bn 22.9%
2 United States US$259bn 9.5%
3 Germany US$257bn 9.4%
4 Japan US$144bn 5.2%
5 Mexico US$129bn 4.7%
6 Italy US$111bn 4.1%
7 Taiwan US$103bn 3.8%
8 South Korea US$84bn 3.1%
9 United Kingdom US$80bn 2.9%
10 Netherlands US$80bn 2.9%

Top importers

RankCountryValueShare
1 United States US$513bn 18.7%
2 China US$177bn 6.4%
3 Germany US$166bn 6.1%
4 Mexico US$93bn 3.4%
5 France US$84bn 3.1%
6 Netherlands US$83bn 3%
7 Canada US$81bn 2.9%
8 Hong Kong SAR China US$79bn 2.9%
9 United Kingdom US$78bn 2.9%
10 Japan US$72bn 2.6%

The UK Global Tariff divides chapter 84 into 1,294 tariff lines; the duty is between 0% and 8% (average 0.8%). 868 of them are duty-free.

In the EU Combined Nomenclature, chapter 84 covers 897 tariff lines and the duty is between 0% and 9.7%. 205 of them are duty-free.

The Turkish Customs Tariff Schedule divides chapter 84 into 1,374 tariff lines; the duty is between 0% and 50% (average 1.9%). 384 of them are duty-free.

In 2024, countries exported chapter 84 goods worth US$3tn (+5.2% year on year).

The largest exporter was China (US$626bn), followed by the United States.

The biggest buyer was the United States, with imports of US$513bn.

Chapter notes

Notes

1. This chapter does not cover:

  1. (a) millstones, grindstones or other articles of Chapter 68;

  2. (b) machinery or appliances (for example, pumps) of ceramic material and ceramic parts of machinery or appliances of any material (Chapter 69);

  3. (c) laboratory glassware (heading 7017); machinery, appliances or other articles for technical uses or parts thereof, of glass (heading 7019 or 7020);

  4. (d) articles of heading 7321 or 7322 or similar articles of other base metals (Chapters 74 to 76 or 78 to 81);

  5. (e) vacuum cleaners of heading 8508;

  6. (f) electromechanical domestic appliances of heading 8509; digital cameras of heading 8525;

  7. (g) radiators for the articles of Section XVII; or

  8. (h) hand-operated mechanical floor sweepers, not motorised (heading 9603).

2. Subject to the operation of note 3 to Section XVI and subject to note 11 to this chapter, a machine or appliance which answers to a description in one or more of the headings 8401 to 8424, or heading 8486 and at the same time to a description in one or more of the headings 8425 to 8480 is to be classified under the appropriate heading of the former group or under heading 8486, as the case may be, and not the latter group.

  1. (A) Heading 8419 does not, however, cover:

    1. (a) germination plant, incubators or brooders (heading 8436);

    2. (b) grain dampening machines (heading 8437);

    3. (c) diffusing apparatus for sugar juice extraction (heading 8438);

    4. (d) machinery for the heat-treatment of textile yarns, fabrics or made up textile articles (heading 8451); or

    5. (e) machinery, plant or laboratory equipment, designed for a mechanical operation, in which a change of temperature, even if necessary, is subsidiary.

  2. (B) Heading 8422 does not cover:

    1. (a) sewing machines for closing bags or similar containers (heading 8452); or

    2. (b) office machinery of heading 8472.

  3. (C) Heading 8424 does not cover:

    1. (a) ink-jet printing machines (heading 8443); or

    2. (b) water-jet cutting machines (heading 8456).

3. A machine tool for working any material which answers to a description in heading 8456 and at the same time to a description in heading 8457, 8458, 8459, 8460, 8461, 8464 or 8465 is to be classified in heading 8456.

4. Heading 8457 applies only to machine tools for working metal, other than lathes (including turning centres), which can carry out different types of machining operations either:

  1. (a) by automatic tool change from a magazine or the like in conformity with a machining programme (machining centres);

  2. (b) by the automatic use, simultaneously or sequentially, of different unit heads working on a fixed position workpiece (unit construction machines, single station); or

  3. (c) by the automatic transfer of the workpiece to different unit heads (multi-station transfer machines).

5. For the purposes of heading 8462, a ‘slitting line’ for flat products is a processing line composed of an uncoiler, a coil flattener, a slitter and a recoiler. A ‘cut-to-length line’ for flat products is a processing line composed of an uncoiler, a coil flattener, and a shear.

6.

(A) For the purposes of heading 8471, the expression ‘automatic data-processing machines’ means machines, capable of

  1. (1) storing the processing program or programs and at least the data immediately necessary for the execution of the program;

  2. (2) being freely programmed in accordance with the requirements of the user;

  3. (3) performing arithmetical computations specified by the user; and

  4. (4) executing, without human intervention, a processing program which requires them to modify their execution, by logical decision during the processing run.

(B) Automatic data-processing machines may be in the form of systems consisting of a variable number of separate units.

(C) Subject to paragraph (D) and (E) below, a unit is to be regarded as being a part of an automatic data-processing system if it meets all of the following conditions:

  1. (1) it is of a kind solely or principally used in an automatic data-processing system;

  2. (2) it is connectable to the central processing unit either directly or through one or more other units; and

  3. (3) it is able to accept or deliver data in a form (codes or signals) which can be used by the system.

Separately presented units of an automatic data-processing machine are to be classified in heading 8471.

However keyboards, X-Y coordinate input devices and disk storage units which satisfy the conditions of paragraphs (C)(2) and (C)(3) above, are in all cases to be classified as units of heading 8471.

(D) Heading 8471 does not cover the following when presented separately, even if they meet all of the conditions set forth in note 6(C) above:

  1. (1) printers, copying machines, facsimile machines, whether or not combined;

  2. (2) apparatus for the transmission or reception of voice, images or other data, including apparatus for communication in a wired or wireless network (such as a local or wide area network);

  3. (3) loudspeakers and microphones;

  4. (4) television cameras, digital cameras and video camera recorders;

  5. (5) monitors and projectors, not incorporating television reception apparatus.

(E) Machines incorporating or working in conjunction with an automatic data-processing machine and performing a specific function other than data processing are to be classified in the headings appropriate to their respective functions or, failing that, in residual headings.

7. Heading 8482 applies, inter alia, to polished steel balls, the maximum and minimum diameters of which do not differ from the nominal diameter by more than 1 % or by more than 0,05 mm, whichever is less.

Other steel balls are to be classified in heading 7326.

8. A machine which is used for more than one purpose is, for the purposes of classification, to be treated as if its principal purpose were its sole purpose.

Subject to note 2 to this chapter and note 3 to Section XVI, a machine the principal purpose of which is not described in any heading or for which no one purpose is the principal purpose is, unless the context otherwise requires, to be classified in heading 8479. Heading 8479 also covers machines for making rope or cable (for example, stranding, twisting or cabling machines) from metal wire, textile yarn or any other material or from a combination of such materials.

9. For the purposes of heading 8470, the term ‘pocket-size’ applies only to machines the dimensions of which do not exceed 170 mm × 100 mm × 45 mm.

10. For the purposes of heading 8485, the expression ‘additive manufacturing’ (also referred to as 3D printing) means the formation of physical objects, based on a digital model, by the successive addition and layering, and consolidation and solidification, of material (for example, metal, plastics or ceramics).

Subject to note 1 to Section XVI and note 1 to Chapter 84, machines answering to the description in heading 8485 are to be classified in that heading and in no other heading of the nomenclature.

11.

(A) Notes 12(a) and 12(b) to Chapter 85 also apply with respect to the expressions ‘semiconductor devices’ and ‘electronic integrated circuits’, respectively, as used in this note and in heading 8486. However, for the purposes of this note and of heading 8486, the expression ‘semiconductor devices’ also covers photosensitive semiconductor devices and light-emitting diodes (LED).

(B) For the purposes of this note and of heading 8486, the expression ‘manufacture of flat panel displays’ covers the fabrication of substrates into a flat panel. It does not cover the manufacture of glass or the assembly of printed circuit boards or other electronic components onto the flat panel. The expression ‘flat panel display’ does not cover cathode-ray tube technology.

(C) Heading 8486 also includes machines and apparatus solely or principally of a kind used for:

  1. (1) the manufacture or repair of masks and reticles;

  2. (2) assembling semiconductor devices or electronic integrated circuits;

  3. (3) lifting, handling, loading or unloading of boules, wafers, semiconductor devices, electronic integrated circuits and flat panel displays.

(D) Subject to note 1 to Section XVI and note 1 to Chapter 84, machines and apparatus answering to the description in heading 8486 are to be classified in that heading and in no other heading of the nomenclature.

Subheading notes

1. For the purposes of subheading 846520, the term ‘machining centres’ applies only to machine-tools for working wood, cork, bone, hard rubber, hard plastics or similar hard materials, which can carry out different types of machining operations by automatic tool change from a magazine or the like in conformity with a machining programme.

2. For the purposes of subheading 847149, the term ‘systems’ means automatic data-processing machines whose units satisfy the conditions laid down in note 6(C) to Chapter 84 and which comprise at least a central processing unit, one input unit (for example, a keyboard or a scanner), and one output unit (for example, a visual display unit or a printer).

3. For the purposes of subheading 848120, the expression ‘valves for oleohydraulic or pneumatic transmissions’ means valves which are used specifically in the transmission of ‘fluid power’ in a hydraulic or pneumatic system, where the energy source is supplied in the form of pressurized fluids (liquid or gas). These valves may be of any type (for example, pressure-reducing type, check type). Subheading 848120 takes precedence over all other subheadings of heading 8481.

4. Subheading 848240 applies only to bearings with cylindrical rollers of a uniform diameter not exceeding 5 mm and having a length which is at least three times the diameter. The ends of the rollers may be rounded.

Additional notes

1. For the purposes of subheadings 840710 and 840910, the expression ‘aircraft engines’ shall apply only to engines designed for fitting with an airscrew or rotor.

2. Subheading 84717030 shall also apply to CD-ROM drives, being storage units for automatic data-processing machines, which consist of drive units designed for retrieving the signals from CD-ROMs, audio CDs and photo CDs and equipped with a jack for earphones, a volume-control button or a start/stop button.

Questions and answers

What is the HS code for nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof?

Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof make up HS chapter 84, in section XVI of the Harmonized System.

What is the import duty on nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and… in the UK?

Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 84 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 0% to 8%, depending on the line. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.

What is the import duty on nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and… in the EU?

Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 84 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 0% to 9.7%, depending on the line. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.

Which country exports the most nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and…?

China, with US$626bn in 2024 (22.9% of world exports).