Subheading · Chapter 85 · Heading 8511
8511.40: Starter motors and dual purpose starter-generators
Starter motors
8511.40 is the HS subheading for starter motors, under heading 8511 in chapter 85.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 8511 40 00 00 Starter motors and dual purpose starter-generators
- 8511 40 00 10 For use in civil aircraft +4
- 8511 40 00 90 Other 2%+5
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 5
- Additional dutyAdditional duties 35%
- Applies to goods from
- Belarus, Russia
- Legal act
- 2022 No. 376
- Documents
- 9008
- Duty suspensionNon preferential duty under end-use Free
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- Legal act
- S.I. 2020/1430
- Documents
- N990 EUS - Authorisation for the use of end use procedure (Column 8c, Annex A of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/2446)
- Tariff lines
- on 1 of 2 lines
- 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 suspensionAutonomous tariff suspension Free
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- In force
- until 31 December 2026
- Legal act
- 2020 No. 1435
- Documents
- 9Y12
- Tariff lines
- on 1 of 2 lines
- 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 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
- Russia, Ukraine
- Legal act
- 2023 No. 440, S.I. 2022/395
- Documents
- 9011
- 9022
- 9038
- 9009
- 9010
- 9017
- Import controlImport control on luxury goods
- Applies to goods from
- North Korea
- Legal act
- S.I. 2019/411
- Documents
- Y945 Travellers' personal effects or goods of a non-commercial nature for travellers' personal use contained in their luggage (Art 10.2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/1509)
- Y946 Goods necessary for the official purposes of diplomatic or consular missions of Member States in the DPRK or international organisations enjoying immunities in accordance with international law, or to the personal effects of their staff (Art 10.3 of Regulation (EU) 2017/1509)
- Y948 Goods other than those described in Annex VIII (Luxury goods) of Reg. (EU) 2017/1509
Preferential rates by country
| Agreement or scheme | Countries | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| standard rate (no agreement) | — | 2% |
| 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–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–XC agreement | XC | Free |
| UK–Kosovo agreement | Kosovo | Free |
| UK–XL agreement | XL | Free |
| UK–South Africa agreement | South Africa | Free |
UK: imports by month
Main suppliers, last 12 months
| Country | Value | Share | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
 United States | £66.7m | 38% | -43.4% |
 China | £23.9m | 13.6% | -20.6% |
 India | £11.1m | 6.3% | +1.8% |
 Japan | £10.7m | 6.1% | -15.2% |
 Hungary | £10.5m | 6% | +167.8% |
 France | £9.5m | 5.4% | -22.1% |
 Bosnia & Herzegovina | £9.4m | 5.4% | +1,065.1% |
| United Kingdom | £5.5m | 3.1% | +15.2% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
EU 3.2% Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
Türkiye 40% Statutory rate (Law 474) 2 tariff lines USA 2.5% General (MFN) 1 tariff line The Turkish schedule prints the statutory rate set under Customs Law 474. The rate applied at import is laid down in the Import Regime Decision and can be lower, or different by country of origin.
World trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$84kUS$84k+US$3.2m+US$47m+> US$275.5m
Exports: 174
- China: US$939.5m
- United States: US$821.5m
- Mexico: US$635.6m
- Japan: US$599.7m
- Hungary: US$341.5m
- Germany: US$275.5m
- South Korea: US$243m
- Poland: US$239m
- United Kingdom: US$213.5m
- France: US$207.8m
- India: US$204.9m
- Italy: US$149.2m
- Netherlands: US$98.8m
- Spain: US$83.1m
- Slovenia: US$75.4m
- Thailand: US$71.5m
- Malaysia: US$64.1m
- Türkiye: US$47m
- Czechia: US$45.8m
- Canada: US$39.3m
- Brazil: US$30.5m
- Taiwan: US$29.5m
- Indonesia: US$27.3m
- United Arab Emirates: US$27.1m
- Belgium: US$23.3m
- Singapore: US$19.4m
- Bosnia & Herzegovina: US$17.5m
- Ukraine: US$16.9m
- Sweden: US$14.1m
- Israel: US$10.1m
- Jordan: US$9.8m
- South Africa: US$9.4m
- Oman: US$6.8m
- Vietnam: US$6.5m
- Tunisia: US$5.9m
- Denmark: US$5.9m
- Australia: US$5.7m
- Austria: US$5.2m
- Switzerland: US$4.6m
- Lithuania: US$4m
- Russia: US$3.8m
- Finland: US$3.3m
- Bulgaria: US$3.2m
- Slovakia: US$3.2m
- Philippines: US$2.9m
- Bangladesh: US$2.7m
- Serbia: US$2.6m
- Norway: US$2.6m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$2.4m
- Chile: US$2.4m
- Romania: US$2.3m
- Kazakhstan: US$2.3m
- Portugal: US$1.5m
- Tanzania: US$1.3m
- Ireland: US$1.2m
- Sri Lanka: US$1.2m
- Latvia: US$1.1m
- Cambodia: US$1m
- Belarus: US$898k
- Croatia: US$861.2k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$1.1mUS$1.1m+US$7.5m+US$62.2m+> US$156m
Imports: 221
- United States: US$1.5bn
- Germany: US$468.3m
- Mexico: US$368.7m
- United Kingdom: US$307.6m
- Canada: US$235.4m
- France: US$186.9m
- Netherlands: US$156m
- Italy: US$133.6m
- Poland: US$129.6m
- Slovakia: US$129.1m
- Spain: US$127.4m
- Japan: US$109.8m
- Türkiye: US$108.8m
- China: US$100.1m
- Czechia: US$95.6m
- Brazil: US$88.6m
- India: US$87.3m
- Romania: US$81m
- Sweden: US$77.8m
- Russia: US$76.4m
- Australia: US$67.7m
- United Arab Emirates: US$66.8m
- Thailand: US$62.2m
- South Korea: US$58.1m
- Hungary: US$55.5m
- Morocco: US$53.7m
- Malaysia: US$52.5m
- Belgium: US$50.3m
- Singapore: US$47.8m
- South Africa: US$47m
- Argentina: US$42.1m
- Indonesia: US$33.2m
- Vietnam: US$32.9m
- Saudi Arabia: US$29.8m
- Slovenia: US$24.2m
- Austria: US$23.5m
- Taiwan: US$23.1m
- Portugal: US$22.6m
- Switzerland: US$19m
- Kazakhstan: US$18.1m
- Finland: US$15.9m
- Ukraine: US$13.2m
- Colombia: US$11.8m
- Peru: US$11.2m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$11.1m
- Ireland: US$10.5m
- Uzbekistan: US$9.9m
- Denmark: US$9.3m
- Norway: US$9.3m
- Algeria: US$9m
- Philippines: US$9m
- Bangladesh: US$8.8m
- New Zealand: US$8.4m
- Oman: US$8.2m
- Chile: US$7.6m
- Iran: US$7.5m
- Jordan: US$6.5m
- Lithuania: US$6.2m
- Iraq: US$6.1m
- Ecuador: US$5.8m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | US$939.5m | 16.4% |
| 2 | United States | US$821.5m | 14.3% |
| 3 |  Mexico | US$635.6m | 11.1% |
| 4 | Japan | US$599.7m | 10.5% |
| 5 | Hungary | US$341.5m | 6% |
| 6 |  Germany | US$275.5m | 4.8% |
| 7 |  South Korea | US$243m | 4.2% |
| 8 |  Poland | US$239m | 4.2% |
| 9 | United Kingdom | US$213.5m | 3.7% |
| 10 | France | US$207.8m | 3.6% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | US$1.5bn | 25.8% |
| 2 | Germany | US$468.3m | 8.2% |
| 3 | Mexico | US$368.7m | 6.4% |
| 4 | United Kingdom | US$307.6m | 5.4% |
| 5 |  Canada | US$235.4m | 4.1% |
| 6 | France | US$186.9m | 3.3% |
| 7 |  Netherlands | US$156m | 2.7% |
| 8 |  Italy | US$133.6m | 2.3% |
| 9 | Poland | US$129.6m | 2.3% |
| 10 |  Slovakia | US$129.1m | 2.3% |
In the UK Global Tariff, subheading 8511.40 covers 2 tariff lines and the duty is 2%.
The EU Combined Nomenclature has one tariff line for subheading 8511.40; the duty is 3.2%.
Goods from 175 countries can enter the UK at a preferential rate instead of the standard 2%; 175 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 starter motors worth £175.4m (down 24% on the year before), at an average of £20.59 per kg; United States supplied 38%, followed by China.
World trade in starter motors reached US$5.7bn in 2024, up 4.9% on 2023.
China was the largest exporter with 16.4% of the total, ahead of the United States.
Products classified here
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for starter motors and dual purpose starter-generators?
Starter motors and dual purpose starter-generators fall under HS subheading 8511.40, part of heading 8511, in section XVI of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on starter motors and dual purpose starter-generators in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 8511.40 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 2%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
What is the import duty on starter motors and dual purpose starter-generators in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 8511.40 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 3.2%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most starter motors and dual purpose starter-generators?
China, with US$939.5m in 2024 (16.4% of world exports).
Which countries can export starter motors to the UK duty-free?
175 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 2% applies. Pick a country above to see its rate.
Is there anti-dumping duty on starter motors?
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 starter motors from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were United States (38%), China (14%) and India (6%), out of total imports of £175.4m.