Subheading · Chapter 85 · Heading 8504
8504.33: Having a power handling capacity exceeding 16 kVA but not exceeding 500 kVA
Transformers 16-500 kVA (dry type)
8504.33 is the HS subheading for transformers 16-500 kVA (dry type), under heading 8504 in chapter 85.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 8504 33 00 00 Having a power handling capacity exceeding 16 kva but not exceeding 500 kva p/st
- 8504 33 00 10 For use in civil aircraft Freep/st
- 8504 33 00 90 Other Freep/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 3
- Additional dutyAdditional duties 35%
- Applies to goods from
- Belarus, Russia
- Legal act
- 2022 No. 376
- Documents
- 9008
- 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
- 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)
- Tariff lines
- on 1 of 2 lines
Import requirements 2
- 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
- Russia, Ukraine
- Legal act
- 2023 No. 440, S.I. 2022/395
- Documents
- 9011
- 9022
- 9038
- 9009
- 9010
- 9017
Preferential rates by country
| Agreement or scheme | Countries | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| standard rate (no agreement) | — | Free |
| 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 | £24m | 65% | +1,653.1% |
 Italy | £4.1m | 11.3% | +40.9% |
 China | £1.8m | 4.8% | -44.7% |
 United States | £1.7m | 4.7% | -19.3% |
 Denmark | £866k | 2.4% | -84.7% |
 France | £803k | 2.2% | -46.8% |
 Netherlands | £627k | 1.7% | +2.3% |
 Czechia | £523k | 1.4% | -38.5% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
TürkiyeWorld trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$598kUS$598k+US$8m+US$31m+> US$153m
Exports: 128
- Mexico: US$513m
- China: US$330m
- United States: US$153m
- Germany: US$153m
- South Korea: US$126m
- Italy: US$114m
- Canada: US$112m
- India: US$100m
- Spain: US$55m
- Denmark: US$44m
- Japan: US$39m
- Lebanon: US$32m
- France: US$31m
- Türkiye: US$31m
- Poland: US$26m
- Czechia: US$17m
- United Kingdom: US$17m
- Romania: US$16m
- New Zealand: US$15m
- South Africa: US$15m
- Brazil: US$14m
- Malaysia: US$13m
- Australia: US$13m
- Finland: US$11m
- Croatia: US$11m
- Switzerland: US$10m
- Slovenia: US$10m
- Indonesia: US$10m
- Austria: US$10m
- Portugal: US$9m
- Taiwan: US$9m
- Sweden: US$8m
- Thailand: US$8m
- Tunisia: US$7m
- Ecuador: US$7m
- Norway: US$6m
- Slovakia: US$6m
- Vietnam: US$6m
- Bulgaria: US$6m
- Netherlands: US$6m
- Hungary: US$6m
- Singapore: US$5m
- Morocco: US$5m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$4m
- Colombia: US$3m
- Oman: US$3m
- Belgium: US$2m
- Russia: US$2m
- Saudi Arabia: US$2m
- Estonia: US$2m
- Tanzania: US$2m
- Philippines: US$1m
- Pakistan: US$1m
- Laos: US$1m
- Peru: US$1m
- Iceland: US$1m
- Zimbabwe: US$999k
- Egypt: US$934k
- Latvia: US$925k
- Israel: US$888k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$1mUS$1m+US$5m+US$20m+> US$47m
Imports: 208
- United States: US$799m
- Canada: US$108m
- Saudi Arabia: US$88m
- Germany: US$82m
- United Kingdom: US$66m
- Mexico: US$62m
- France: US$47m
- Spain: US$45m
- Italy: US$38m
- Japan: US$37m
- China: US$35m
- Finland: US$31m
- India: US$31m
- Norway: US$30m
- Thailand: US$29m
- Australia: US$28m
- Singapore: US$23m
- Indonesia: US$21m
- Egypt: US$21m
- New Zealand: US$20m
- Taiwan: US$20m
- Poland: US$20m
- Switzerland: US$19m
- Denmark: US$19m
- Netherlands: US$15m
- Greece: US$15m
- Philippines: US$14m
- South Korea: US$14m
- Sweden: US$14m
- United Arab Emirates: US$14m
- Malaysia: US$13m
- Burkina Faso: US$12m
- Dominican Republic: US$12m
- Qatar: US$12m
- South Africa: US$11m
- Austria: US$10m
- Hungary: US$9m
- Honduras: US$9m
- Kenya: US$8m
- Angola: US$8m
- Belgium: US$8m
- Israel: US$8m
- Vietnam: US$8m
- Portugal: US$7m
- Ireland: US$6m
- North Macedonia: US$6m
- Cambodia: US$6m
- Türkiye: US$6m
- Botswana: US$6m
- Brazil: US$5m
- Czechia: US$5m
- Chile: US$5m
- Nigeria: US$5m
- Romania: US$5m
- Djibouti: US$5m
- Panama: US$5m
- Costa Rica: US$5m
- Bahamas: US$5m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$5m
- Peru: US$4m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Mexico | US$513m | 23.6% |
| 2 | China | US$330m | 15.2% |
| 3 | United States | US$153m | 7% |
| 4 | Germany | US$153m | 7% |
| 5 |  South Korea | US$126m | 5.8% |
| 6 | Italy | US$114m | 5.2% |
| 7 |  Canada | US$112m | 5.1% |
| 8 |  India | US$100m | 4.6% |
| 9 |  Spain | US$55m | 2.6% |
| 10 | Denmark | US$44m | 2% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | US$799m | 36.8% |
| 2 | Canada | US$108m | 5% |
| 3 |  Saudi Arabia | US$88m | 4.1% |
| 4 | Germany | US$82m | 3.8% |
| 5 | United Kingdom | US$66m | 3% |
| 6 | Mexico | US$62m | 2.9% |
| 7 | France | US$47m | 2.2% |
| 8 | Spain | US$45m | 2.1% |
| 9 | Italy | US$38m | 1.8% |
| 10 |  Japan | US$37m | 1.7% |
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.
-
Safeguard · Applies from: CELEX 32026R2133 · Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
- Sanctions · Applies from:
The Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
S.I. 2026/543 · Source: legislation.gov.uk
- Sanctions · Applies from:
CELEX 32026R0506 · Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
- Tariff change · Applies from:
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States — 2026 HTS Revision 2
2026HTSRev2 · Source: hts.usitc.gov
In the UK Global Tariff, subheading 8504.33 covers 2 tariff lines and the duty is duty-free.
The EU Combined Nomenclature has one tariff line for subheading 8504.33; the duty is 3.7%.
Goods from 174 countries can enter the UK at a preferential rate instead of the standard Free; 174 of them pay no duty at all, for example under DCTS Comprehensive or European Union.
In the UK, additional duty of 35% applies on top of the customs duty to goods from Belarus and Russia.
In the 12 months to August 2026, the UK imported transformers 16-500 kVA (dry type) worth £36.8m (up 48% on the year before), at an average of £12.09 per kg; Germany supplied 65%, followed by Italy.
World trade in transformers 16-500 kVA (dry type) reached US$2bn in 2024, up 14.8% on 2023.
Mexico was the largest exporter with 23.6% of the total, ahead of China.
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for having a power handling capacity exceeding 16 kVA but not exceeding 500 kVA?
Having a power handling capacity exceeding 16 kVA but not exceeding 500 kVA fall under HS subheading 8504.33, part of heading 8504, in section XVI of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on having a power handling capacity exceeding 16 kVA… in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 8504.33 from countries without a preferential agreement are free of duty. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
What is the import duty on having a power handling capacity exceeding 16 kVA… in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 8504.33 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 3.7%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most having a power handling capacity exceeding 16 kVA…?
Mexico, with US$513m in 2024 (23.6% of world exports).
Which countries can export transformers 16-500 kVA (dry type) 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 applies. Pick a country above to see its rate.
Is there anti-dumping duty on transformers 16-500 kVA (dry type)?
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 transformers 16-500 kVA (dry type) from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were Germany (65%), Italy (11%) and China (5%), out of total imports of £36.8m.