Subheading · Chapter 84 · Heading 8456
8456.12: Operated by other light or photon beam processes
Subheading 8456.12 belongs to heading 8456 (machine tools for working any material by removal of material, by laser or…) in chapter 84.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 8456 12 00 00 Operated by other light or photon beam processes p/st
- 8456 12 10 00 Of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of printed circuits, printed circuit assemblies, parts of heading 8517, or parts of automatic data processing machines Freep/st
- 8456 12 90 00 Other 4%p/st
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 1
- Additional dutyAdditional duties 35%
- Applies to goods from
- Belarus, Russia
- Legal act
- 2022 No. 376
- Documents
- 9008
Import requirements 3
- 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
- Ukraine
- Legal act
- 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
Preferential rates by country
| Agreement or scheme | Countries | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| standard rate (no agreement) | — | Free – 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
 Germany | £275k | 45.6% | +1,445.5% |
 China | £256k | 42.4% | +62.3% |
| United Kingdom | £70k | 11.6% | +206.8% |
 India | £2k | 0.4% | -58.7% |
 Belgium | £0 | 0% | -100% |
 Spain | £0 | 0% | -100% |
 Sweden | £0 | 0% | -100% |
 Taiwan | £0 | 0% | -100% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
EU
TürkiyeWorld trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$100kUS$100k+US$707k+US$2m+> US$12m
Exports: 57
- Spain: US$21m
- United States: US$12m
- China: US$8m
- Israel: US$8m
- Germany: US$3m
- Italy: US$2m
- Japan: US$2m
- Netherlands: US$2m
- Taiwan: US$2m
- United Kingdom: US$1m
- Türkiye: US$963k
- Singapore: US$786k
- South Korea: US$763k
- Czechia: US$707k
- India: US$624k
- Austria: US$556k
- Serbia: US$517k
- France: US$459k
- Malaysia: US$304k
- Thailand: US$282k
- Bulgaria: US$264k
- Paraguay: US$249k
- Belgium: US$248k
- Canada: US$214k
- Ireland: US$209k
- Portugal: US$177k
- Poland: US$133k
- Switzerland: US$100k
- Indonesia: US$87k
- Uruguay: US$60k
- Finland: US$53k
- Slovakia: US$51k
- Slovenia: US$38k
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$34k
- South Africa: US$28k
- Peru: US$26k
- Lithuania: US$26k
- Saudi Arabia: US$21k
- Greece: US$21k
- Sweden: US$20k
- Russia: US$16k
- Australia: US$16k
- Iceland: US$11k
- New Zealand: US$11k
- Denmark: US$10k
- Norway: US$6k
- Costa Rica: US$4k
- Estonia: US$3k
- Romania: US$3k
- Mexico: US$3k
- Hungary: US$2k
- Malta: US$1k
- Chile: US$500
- Honduras: US$500
- Angola: US$300
- Latvia: US$300
- Luxembourg: US$0
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$86kUS$86k+US$370k+US$1m+> US$4m
Imports: 126
- Bangladesh: US$8m
- Taiwan: US$7m
- United States: US$6m
- Egypt: US$4m
- China: US$4m
- Canada: US$4m
- Mexico: US$3m
- Germany: US$3m
- Thailand: US$2m
- Pakistan: US$2m
- Türkiye: US$2m
- Vietnam: US$1m
- Austria: US$1m
- United Kingdom: US$1m
- India: US$1m
- Costa Rica: US$1m
- Brazil: US$1m
- Singapore: US$1m
- Norway: US$925k
- Malaysia: US$913k
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$836k
- Japan: US$832k
- Spain: US$811k
- Italy: US$709k
- Switzerland: US$612k
- South Africa: US$597k
- Sweden: US$581k
- Cambodia: US$557k
- Panama: US$535k
- Saudi Arabia: US$473k
- Israel: US$370k
- Tunisia: US$366k
- Serbia: US$331k
- Indonesia: US$303k
- Poland: US$299k
- Hungary: US$289k
- Portugal: US$286k
- Netherlands: US$266k
- Paraguay: US$246k
- Belarus: US$245k
- Honduras: US$239k
- Colombia: US$234k
- Australia: US$202k
- Romania: US$176k
- Philippines: US$160k
- Sri Lanka: US$154k
- Morocco: US$152k
- Chile: US$142k
- Peru: US$138k
- United Arab Emirates: US$137k
- Mauritius: US$130k
- South Korea: US$130k
- Greece: US$129k
- France: US$121k
- Bulgaria: US$121k
- Argentina: US$120k
- Slovakia: US$111k
- Czechia: US$107k
- Ireland: US$91k
- Belgium: US$91k
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain | US$21m | 31.1% |
| 2 |  United States | US$12m | 17.1% |
| 3 | China | US$8m | 12% |
| 4 |  Israel | US$8m | 11.5% |
| 5 | Germany | US$3m | 4.3% |
| 6 |  Italy | US$2m | 2.9% |
| 7 |  Japan | US$2m | 2.9% |
| 8 |  Netherlands | US$2m | 2.5% |
| 9 | Taiwan | US$2m | 2.3% |
| 10 | United Kingdom | US$1m | 1.5% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Bangladesh | US$8m | 11.9% |
| 2 | Taiwan | US$7m | 10.5% |
| 3 | United States | US$6m | 9.5% |
| 4 |  Egypt | US$4m | 6.1% |
| 5 | China | US$4m | 5.8% |
| 6 |  Canada | US$4m | 5.6% |
| 7 |  Mexico | US$3m | 4.5% |
| 8 | Germany | US$3m | 3.8% |
| 9 |  Thailand | US$2m | 2.7% |
| 10 |  Pakistan | US$2m | 2.6% |
Recent rule changes mentioning this code
Acts whose text cites this code or its heading. Check the act itself: a code can be cited for reasons other than a change of its duty.
- Sanctions · Applies from:
The Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
S.I. 2026/543 · Source: legislation.gov.uk
Code history
Since 2017; before, these goods were classified under 8456.10.
The UK Global Tariff divides subheading 8456.12 into 2 tariff lines; the duty is between 0% and 4% (average 2%). 1 of them is duty-free.
In the EU Combined Nomenclature, subheading 8456.12 covers 2 tariff lines and the duty is between 0% and 4.5%. 1 of them is duty-free.
174 countries pay no duty in the UK thanks to trade agreements and preference schemes such as DCTS Comprehensive and European Union, against a standard rate of Free – 4%.
In the UK, additional duty of 35% applies on top of the customs duty to goods from Belarus and Russia.
Imports of these goods into the UK came to £603.9k between September 2025 and August 2026 (up 61% on the year before); Germany supplied 46%, followed by China.
In 2024, countries exported these goods worth US$68m (−9.7% year on year).
The largest exporter was Spain (US$21m), followed by the United States.
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for operated by other light or photon beam processes?
Operated by other light or photon beam processes fall under HS subheading 8456.12, part of heading 8456, in section XVI of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on operated by other light or photon beam processes in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 8456.12 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 0% to 4%, depending on the line. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
What is the import duty on operated by other light or photon beam processes in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 8456.12 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 0% to 4.5%, depending on the line. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most operated by other light or photon beam processes?
Spain, with US$21m in 2024 (31.1% 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 Free – 4% applies. Pick a country above to see its rate.
Is there anti-dumping duty on these goods?
The UK charges additional duty of 35% on goods from Belarus and Russia. Lower rates apply to the named exporters listed in the measure.
Where does the UK import these goods from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were Germany (46%), China (42%) and United Kingdom (12%), out of total imports of £603.9k.