Subheading · Chapter 85 · Heading 8516
8516.40: Electric instantaneous or storage water heaters: electric smoothing irons
Electric irons
Official description Electric smoothing irons
8516.40 is the HS subheading for electric irons, under heading 8516 in chapter 85.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 8516 40 00 00 Electric smoothing irons 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 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–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 |
|---|---|---|---|
 China | £42.3m | 73.6% | +1.5% |
 France | £6.7m | 11.7% | +5.8% |
 Indonesia | £5.1m | 9% | -1.2% |
 South Korea | £2.2m | 3.8% | +1,201.2% |
 Hungary | £463k | 0.8% | +52.4% |
 Ireland | £228k | 0.4% | -3.3% |
 Germany | £210k | 0.4% | +27.4% |
 Italy | £91k | 0.2% | -48.7% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
EUWorld trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$28.8kUS$28.8k+US$1.8m+US$10.5m+> US$56.3m
Exports: 149
- China: US$1.4bn
- France: US$240.2m
- Indonesia: US$167.2m
- Hungary: US$71.6m
- Romania: US$56.3m
- Netherlands: US$53.4m
- Germany: US$47.1m
- Italy: US$43.3m
- Slovakia: US$34.9m
- Poland: US$25.2m
- Spain: US$20.1m
- Türkiye: US$14.7m
- Malaysia: US$11.3m
- Japan: US$10.5m
- United States: US$9.3m
- Czechia: US$9m
- Sweden: US$8.6m
- Russia: US$7.3m
- Belgium: US$6.3m
- Singapore: US$5.4m
- Latvia: US$4.9m
- South Korea: US$4.5m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$4.2m
- Lithuania: US$4.1m
- Slovenia: US$4.1m
- Austria: US$4.1m
- United Kingdom: US$3.6m
- Greece: US$3.5m
- South Africa: US$2.9m
- Kazakhstan: US$2.7m
- Croatia: US$2.7m
- Serbia: US$2.4m
- Estonia: US$2.1m
- India: US$2.1m
- United Arab Emirates: US$1.8m
- Egypt: US$1.6m
- Denmark: US$1.3m
- Canada: US$1.3m
- Chile: US$1.2m
- Thailand: US$1.1m
- Bulgaria: US$990.6k
- Armenia: US$897.1k
- Switzerland: US$848.4k
- Brazil: US$742.8k
- Ukraine: US$738.8k
- Taiwan: US$725.1k
- Norway: US$602.9k
- Portugal: US$505.5k
- Australia: US$400.7k
- Vietnam: US$377k
- Ireland: US$343.1k
- Bosnia & Herzegovina: US$307.8k
- Saudi Arabia: US$253.9k
- Finland: US$215.2k
- Mexico: US$210.5k
- Guatemala: US$182.3k
- Philippines: US$155.8k
- New Zealand: US$122.8k
- Colombia: US$109.1k
- Panama: US$106.5k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$1.3mUS$1.3m+US$8.1m+US$25.9m+> US$80.3m
Imports: 211
- United States: US$187.4m
- Russia: US$139.6m
- Germany: US$135.8m
- Türkiye: US$111.3m
- Italy: US$98.6m
- Poland: US$92.9m
- United Arab Emirates: US$80.3m
- France: US$79.7m
- Spain: US$71.8m
- United Kingdom: US$68.3m
- Kazakhstan: US$67.9m
- Netherlands: US$60.7m
- Slovakia: US$50.7m
- Mexico: US$50.3m
- Hungary: US$42.3m
- Saudi Arabia: US$40.5m
- Belgium: US$38m
- Brazil: US$34.9m
- Japan: US$32.3m
- South Korea: US$28m
- Austria: US$25.9m
- Malaysia: US$25.1m
- Thailand: US$23.7m
- Romania: US$22.6m
- Vietnam: US$22.6m
- Indonesia: US$22.4m
- South Africa: US$22.1m
- Switzerland: US$21.7m
- India: US$21.6m
- Australia: US$21.4m
- Kyrgyzstan: US$21.4m
- Philippines: US$21.3m
- Czechia: US$21.2m
- Ukraine: US$19.2m
- Croatia: US$18.7m
- Greece: US$16.6m
- Israel: US$15.6m
- Singapore: US$15.6m
- Iraq: US$15.6m
- Canada: US$12.4m
- Kuwait: US$12.3m
- Azerbaijan: US$12m
- Uzbekistan: US$11.3m
- Sweden: US$10.1m
- Slovenia: US$9.5m
- Lithuania: US$9.4m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$9.1m
- Colombia: US$9.1m
- Serbia: US$9m
- Bulgaria: US$8.8m
- Chile: US$8.3m
- Ireland: US$8.2m
- Portugal: US$8.1m
- Norway: US$7.8m
- Peru: US$7.1m
- Egypt: US$7m
- China: US$6.9m
- Qatar: US$6.8m
- Ghana: US$6.2m
- Armenia: US$6.2m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | US$1.4bn | 60% |
| 2 | France | US$240.2m | 10.6% |
| 3 | Indonesia | US$167.2m | 7.4% |
| 4 | Hungary | US$71.6m | 3.2% |
| 5 |  Romania | US$56.3m | 2.5% |
| 6 |  Netherlands | US$53.4m | 2.3% |
| 7 | Germany | US$47.1m | 2.1% |
| 8 | Italy | US$43.3m | 1.9% |
| 9 |  Slovakia | US$34.9m | 1.5% |
| 10 |  Poland | US$25.2m | 1.1% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  United States | US$187.4m | 8.2% |
| 2 |  Russia | US$139.6m | 6.1% |
| 3 | Germany | US$135.8m | 6% |
| 4 |  Türkiye | US$111.3m | 4.9% |
| 5 | Italy | US$98.6m | 4.3% |
| 6 | Poland | US$92.9m | 4.1% |
| 7 |  United Arab Emirates | US$80.3m | 3.5% |
| 8 | France | US$79.7m | 3.5% |
| 9 |  Spain | US$71.8m | 3.2% |
| 10 | United Kingdom | US$68.3m | 3% |
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.
- N334180 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of a 2-in-1 travel iron from China.
The UK Global Tariff has one tariff line for subheading 8516.40; the duty is 2%.
Subheading 8516.40 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 electric irons into the UK came to £57.4m between September 2025 and August 2026 (up 5% on the year before); China supplied 74%, followed by France.
In 2024, countries exported electric irons worth US$2.3bn (+5.9% year on year).
The largest exporter was China (US$1.4bn), followed by France.
Products classified here
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for electric instantaneous or storage water heaters: electric smoothing irons?
Electric instantaneous or storage water heaters: electric smoothing irons fall under HS subheading 8516.40, part of heading 8516, in section XVI of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on electric instantaneous or storage water heaters in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 8516.40 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 electric instantaneous or storage water heaters in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 8516.40 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 electric instantaneous or storage water heaters?
China, with US$1.4bn in 2024 (60% of world exports).
Which countries can export electric irons 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 electric irons?
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 electric irons from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were China (74%), France (12%) and Indonesia (9%), out of total imports of £57.4m.