Subheading · Chapter 85 · Heading 8516

8516.33

8516.33: Electrothermic hairdressing or hand-drying apparatus: hand-drying apparatus

Official description Hand-drying apparatus

Subheading 8516.33 belongs to heading 8516 (electric instantaneous or storage water heaters and immersion heaters) in chapter 85.

What you pay

Importing into UK

Customs duty 2% standard rate depends on the country of origin
Additional duties and charges 3 additional measures Import requirements: 2
VAT 20.00 % import VAT
Duty calculatorCalculate duty and taxes →

Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff

UK lines →
  1. 8516 33 00 00 Hand-drying apparatus 2%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 3

  • Additional dutyAdditional duties 35%
    Applies to goods from
    Belarus, Russia
    Legal act
    2022 No. 376
    Documents
    • 9008
  • 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 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 schemeCountriesRate
standard rate (no agreement)—2%
DCTS Comprehensive
Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin and 38 more

Afghanistan, 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")
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia and 23 more

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden

Free
DCTS Enhanced
Algeria, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Congo - Brazzaville and 13 more

Algeria, 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 more

Antigua & 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 more

Anguilla, 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

last 12 months£12.4m-8.3% · previous 12 months
Average import price£15.71 per kg
Jan 2024: £852kFeb 2024: £1.1mMar 2024: £1.3mApr 2024: £1mMay 2024: £1.3mJun 2024: £851kJul 2024: £1.5mAug 2024: £1.6mSept 2024: £1.3mOct 2024: £1.3mNov 2024: £1mDec 2024: £1.3mJan 2025: £1.4mFeb 2025: £1.3mMar 2025: £820kApr 2025: £1.2mMay 2025: £1mJun 2025: £970kJul 2025: £771kAug 2025: £987kSept 2025: £1.2mOct 2025: £1.3mNov 2025: £473kDec 2025: £1.1mJan 2026: £998kFeb 2026: £1mMar 2026: £1.1mApr 2026: £1.3mMay 2026: £824kJun 2026: £1.2mJul 2026: £879kAug 2026: £933k 202420252026
Data up to August 2026 (provisional) · Monthly data: Eurostat Comext (CC BY 4.0), HMRC (OGL v3.0)

Main suppliers, last 12 months

CountryValueShareChange
China £7.3m 58.7% -12%
Taiwan £1.7m 13.3% -1.3%
Malaysia £1.2m 9.7% -3.9%
United States £996k 8% +290.6%
Ireland £393k 3.2% +4.3%
Spain £342k 2.8% -21.7%
Japan £288k 2.3% -65.1%
Hong Kong SAR China £73k 0.6% +312.5%

Same subheading in other tariffs

World trade in 2024

8516.33 · US$144.3m

Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$59.3kUS$59.3k+US$386.6k+US$2.6m+> US$10.3m

Exports: 95
  1. China: US$73.1m
  2. Taiwan: US$11.5m
  3. Spain: US$10.3m
  4. Malaysia: US$9.3m
  5. United States: US$8.7m
  6. France: US$4.1m
  7. Germany: US$3.2m
  8. Japan: US$3.2m
  9. United Kingdom: US$2.6m
  10. Austria: US$2.2m
  11. Netherlands: US$2.1m
  12. Italy: US$1.9m
  13. Denmark: US$1.3m
  14. Poland: US$998k
  15. South Korea: US$934.9k
  16. Kazakhstan: US$803.7k
  17. Mexico: US$756.4k
  18. Czechia: US$636.7k
  19. Ireland: US$604.8k
  20. India: US$465.8k
  21. Türkiye: US$391.5k
  22. Switzerland: US$390.5k
  23. Belgium: US$386.6k
  24. Croatia: US$367.4k
  25. Singapore: US$323.3k
  26. Indonesia: US$319.6k
  27. Philippines: US$279.4k
  28. Hong Kong SAR China: US$268.3k
  29. Portugal: US$262.1k
  30. South Africa: US$227.1k
  31. Peru: US$192.4k
  32. Sweden: US$192.3k
  33. Armenia: US$171.1k
  34. United Arab Emirates: US$167.3k
  35. Canada: US$143.7k
  36. Lebanon: US$129.8k
  37. Russia: US$125.3k
  38. Lithuania: US$120.5k
  39. New Zealand: US$114.7k
  40. Bulgaria: US$95.3k
  41. Thailand: US$92.5k
  42. Australia: US$89.7k
  43. Romania: US$79.6k
  44. Slovenia: US$62.2k
  45. Guatemala: US$59.3k
  46. Greece: US$57.4k
  47. Serbia: US$45.3k
  48. Uruguay: US$44.9k
  49. Israel: US$42.6k
  50. Saudi Arabia: US$38.1k
  51. Vietnam: US$33k
  52. Argentina: US$19.4k
  53. Estonia: US$19.2k
  54. Hungary: US$18.2k
  55. Latvia: US$17.9k
  56. Slovakia: US$17.8k
  57. Kenya: US$17.6k
  58. Cyprus: US$15.1k
  59. Colombia: US$14.5k
  60. Luxembourg: US$13.4k

Top exporters

RankCountryValueShare
1 China US$73.1m 50.6%
2 Taiwan US$11.5m 8%
3 Spain US$10.3m 7.2%
4 Malaysia US$9.3m 6.4%
5 United States US$8.7m 6%
6 France US$4.1m 2.9%
7 Germany US$3.2m 2.2%
8 Japan US$3.2m 2.2%
9 United Kingdom US$2.6m 1.8%
10 Austria US$2.2m 1.5%

Top importers

RankCountryValueShare
1 United Kingdom US$18.3m 12.7%
2 United States US$13.1m 9.1%
3 Russia US$7.4m 5.1%
4 France US$6.8m 4.7%
5 Germany US$6.7m 4.7%
6 Hong Kong SAR China US$5.7m 4%
7 Canada US$4.9m 3.4%
8 Australia US$4.5m 3.1%
9 India US$3.8m 2.6%
10 Italy US$3.8m 2.6%

Binding rulings for similar goods 1

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.

  • 600010254 HMRC 17 April 2024 – 16 April 2027 · 8516 33 00 00

    Automatic Hand Dryers are used as hand drying apparatus. The goods are electrical machines that automatically dry hands by creating a focused warm stream of air. Automatic ‘no- touch’ operation keeps hygiene at the fore while the rapid auto cut-off prevents unnecessary energy wastage by cutting…

The UK Global Tariff has one tariff line for subheading 8516.33; the duty is 2%.

Subheading 8516.33 is a single line in the EU Combined Nomenclature, where the duty is 2.7%.

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 2%.

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 £12.4m between September 2025 and August 2026 (down 8% on the year before); China supplied 59%, followed by Taiwan.

In 2024, countries exported these goods worth US$144.3m (+1.3% year on year).

The largest exporter was China (US$73.1m), followed by Taiwan.

Products classified here

Questions and answers

What is the HS code for electrothermic hairdressing or hand-drying apparatus: hand-drying apparatus?

Electrothermic hairdressing or hand-drying apparatus: hand-drying apparatus fall under HS subheading 8516.33, part of heading 8516, in section XVI of the Harmonized System.

What is the import duty on electrothermic hairdressing or hand-drying… in the UK?

Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 8516.33 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 electrothermic hairdressing or hand-drying… in the EU?

Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 8516.33 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 2.7%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.

Which country exports the most electrothermic hairdressing or hand-drying…?

China, with US$73.1m in 2024 (50.6% 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 2% 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 China (59%), Taiwan (13%) and Malaysia (10%), out of total imports of £12.4m.