Subheading · Chapter 85 · Heading 8519
8519.81: Using magnetic, optical or semiconductor media
Other audio recorders and players
8519.81 is the HS subheading for other audio recorders and players, under heading 8519 in chapter 85.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 8519 81 00 00 Using magnetic, optical or semiconductor media Freep/st
- 8519 81 00 10 For use in civil aircraft Freep/st
- 8519 81 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 2
- 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
Import requirements 4
- 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
- Belarus, Russia, Syria, Ukraine
- Legal act
- 2022 No. 748, S.I. 2019/792, S.I. 2022/395
- Documents
- 9024
- 9032
- 9025
- 9009
- 9010
- 9017
- Import controlImport control on restricted goods and technologies
- Applies to goods from
- Iran, Libya, Russia
- Legal act
- S.I. 2019/461, 2020 No. 1665, S.I. 2019/855
- 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) | — | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
 China | £41.6m | 61.6% | -7.8% |
 Vietnam | £12.6m | 18.6% | +5.7% |
 United States | £6.2m | 9.1% | +18.7% |
 Australia | £1.1m | 1.6% | +6.8% |
 Malaysia | £958k | 1.4% | +13.3% |
| United Kingdom | £647k | 1% | +67.9% |
 South Korea | £602k | 0.9% | -28.1% |
 Japan | £596k | 0.9% | -13.1% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
EU
TürkiyeWorld trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$125kUS$125k+US$3m+US$17m+> US$63m
Exports: 128
- China: US$1bn
- Vietnam: US$331m
- Germany: US$104m
- United States: US$63m
- Netherlands: US$63m
- Malaysia: US$36m
- Slovakia: US$30m
- Poland: US$23m
- Japan: US$22m
- South Korea: US$20m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$19m
- United Kingdom: US$17m
- France: US$14m
- Australia: US$13m
- Canada: US$10m
- Taiwan: US$9m
- Belgium: US$8m
- Austria: US$8m
- Armenia: US$8m
- Spain: US$7m
- Slovenia: US$7m
- Italy: US$6m
- Czechia: US$6m
- Sweden: US$5m
- Thailand: US$5m
- Hungary: US$5m
- Singapore: US$4m
- Switzerland: US$4m
- Latvia: US$3m
- Mexico: US$3m
- Denmark: US$3m
- Lithuania: US$2m
- Peru: US$2m
- Estonia: US$2m
- Brazil: US$2m
- Portugal: US$2m
- Israel: US$2m
- Indonesia: US$933k
- Türkiye: US$931k
- Ireland: US$865k
- Kazakhstan: US$793k
- Croatia: US$730k
- Romania: US$728k
- Luxembourg: US$566k
- Russia: US$559k
- South Africa: US$475k
- Tunisia: US$465k
- New Zealand: US$445k
- Panama: US$444k
- Bulgaria: US$443k
- Norway: US$425k
- Kyrgyzstan: US$286k
- Cyprus: US$282k
- Greece: US$239k
- India: US$190k
- Philippines: US$187k
- Chile: US$178k
- Ukraine: US$177k
- Finland: US$129k
- United Arab Emirates: US$125k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$382kUS$382k+US$5m+US$22m+> US$57m
Imports: 204
- United States: US$843m
- Germany: US$157m
- United Kingdom: US$88m
- France: US$78m
- Mexico: US$74m
- Japan: US$64m
- Italy: US$57m
- Netherlands: US$56m
- Poland: US$54m
- China: US$46m
- Canada: US$45m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$39m
- Slovakia: US$37m
- Spain: US$37m
- Czechia: US$30m
- Russia: US$30m
- Australia: US$24m
- Brazil: US$24m
- Austria: US$24m
- Türkiye: US$23m
- Switzerland: US$22m
- Belgium: US$21m
- Sweden: US$18m
- Vietnam: US$16m
- United Arab Emirates: US$15m
- Paraguay: US$15m
- South Korea: US$14m
- Peru: US$13m
- Romania: US$13m
- Singapore: US$11m
- Finland: US$10m
- Norway: US$9m
- Nigeria: US$9m
- Hungary: US$9m
- Malaysia: US$9m
- Argentina: US$8m
- Ukraine: US$8m
- Taiwan: US$8m
- Bulgaria: US$8m
- Ireland: US$8m
- Denmark: US$7m
- Colombia: US$7m
- Armenia: US$7m
- Slovenia: US$6m
- Thailand: US$6m
- Portugal: US$6m
- Guatemala: US$6m
- Croatia: US$6m
- South Africa: US$6m
- Latvia: US$5m
- Kazakhstan: US$5m
- Chile: US$5m
- India: US$5m
- Costa Rica: US$5m
- Lithuania: US$5m
- Israel: US$5m
- Saudi Arabia: US$4m
- Indonesia: US$4m
- Greece: US$3m
- Estonia: US$3m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | US$1bn | 60.6% |
| 2 | Vietnam | US$331m | 14.8% |
| 3 |  Germany | US$104m | 4.6% |
| 4 | United States | US$63m | 2.8% |
| 5 |  Netherlands | US$63m | 2.8% |
| 6 | Malaysia | US$36m | 1.6% |
| 7 |  Slovakia | US$30m | 1.3% |
| 8 |  Poland | US$23m | 1% |
| 9 | Japan | US$22m | 1% |
| 10 | South Korea | US$20m | 0.9% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | US$843m | 37.7% |
| 2 | Germany | US$157m | 7% |
| 3 | United Kingdom | US$88m | 3.9% |
| 4 |  France | US$78m | 3.5% |
| 5 |  Mexico | US$74m | 3.3% |
| 6 | Japan | US$64m | 2.9% |
| 7 |  Italy | US$57m | 2.5% |
| 8 | Netherlands | US$56m | 2.5% |
| 9 | Poland | US$54m | 2.4% |
| 10 | China | US$46m | 2% |
Binding rulings for similar goods 16
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.
- H350248 U.S. CBP
Application for Further Review of Protest No. 1401-25-108344; Tariff classification of certain Bluetooth Speakers
- H335210 U.S. CBP
Application for Further Review of Protest No. 4601-23-135690; Tariff classification of the “VOX Reader”
- N336811 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of a sound recording and reproducing apparatus from China
- N335428 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of a baby sound machine from China
- N334310 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of a sound recording and reproducing device from China
- N326197 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of a hand-held music maker from China
- 600015936 HMRC
A HiFi console featuring a CD player, built-in amplifier and Bluetooth receiver. It connects to Wi-Fi for internet radio, Spotify connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Apple Airplay 2, Google Cast, and has HDMI ARC/eARC input. The console supports several audio formats including MP3, AAC, FLAC,…
- 600015975 HMRC
Pair of stereo loudspeakers for reproduction of audio from compatible external devices. Each cabinet incorporates a 20mm silk dome tweeter and an 85mm NS+ woofer, mounted within the same enclosure. The system incorporates built-in amplification and has audio input including Bluetooth, USB-C,…
- 600011212 HMRC
A stand alone CD player which needs to be connected to a system containing an amplifier and loudspeakers Engineered slot loading CD mech Compatible with CD-DA, CD-R CD-RW disks Finishes: Fused walnut veneer with machined Aluminium top plate Dimensions:H45 x W175 x D160mm Weight: 1.3kgs Type slot…
16 rulings in total for this code
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.
- Tariff change
UK Trade Tariff: measure changes on 103 commodity codes
Trade Tariff changes 2026-09-21 · Source: trade-tariff.service.gov.uk
- Tariff change
Update to VATZ Coverage – 8 September 2026
Trade Tariff news 8315 · Source: trade-tariff.service.gov.uk
- Import and export controls
FR Doc. 2026-14542 · 91 FR 45516 · Source: federalregister.gov
- Tariff change
FR Doc. 2026-11158 · 91 FR 33854 · Source: federalregister.gov
Code history
Since 2022; before, these goods were classified under 8519.50.
The UK Global Tariff divides subheading 8519.81 into 2 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
Subheading 8519.81 is a single line in the EU Combined Nomenclature, where the duty 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.
In the UK, additional duty of 35% applies on top of the customs duty to goods from Belarus and Russia.
Imports of other audio recorders and players into the UK came to £67.5m between September 2025 and August 2026 (down 3% on the year before); China supplied 62%, followed by Vietnam.
In 2024, countries exported other audio recorders and players worth US$2bn (+10.3% year on year).
The largest exporter was China (US$1bn), followed by Vietnam.
Products classified here
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for using magnetic, optical or semiconductor media?
Using magnetic, optical or semiconductor media fall under HS subheading 8519.81, part of heading 8519, in section XVI of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on using magnetic, optical or semiconductor media in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 8519.81 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 using magnetic, optical or semiconductor media in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 8519.81 from countries without a preferential agreement are free of duty. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most using magnetic, optical or semiconductor media?
China, with US$1bn in 2024 (60.6% of world exports).
Which countries can export other audio recorders and players 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 other audio recorders and players?
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 other audio recorders and players from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were China (62%), Vietnam (19%) and United States (9%), out of total imports of £67.5m.
Typical products
Everyday names, not part of the legal text.