Subheading · Chapter 85 · Heading 8523
8523.41: Discs, tapes, solid-state non-volatile storage devices: optical media, unrecorded
Official description Unrecorded
8523.41 is a six-digit subheading of heading 8523, discs, tapes, solid-state non-volatile storage devices, ‘smart cards’ and other…, chapter 85.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 8523 41 00 00 Unrecorded
- 8523 41 10 00 Discs for laser reading systems of a recording capacity not exceeding 900 megabytes, other than erasable Freep/st
- 8523 41 30 00 Discs for laser reading systems of a recording capacity exceeding 900 megabytes but not exceeding 18 gigabytes, other than erasable Freep/st
- 8523 41 90 00 Other Free
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 1
- Additional dutyAdditional duties 35%
- Applies to goods from
- Belarus, Russia
- Legal act
- 2022 No. 376
- Documents
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
- Belarus, Russia, Syria, Ukraine
- Legal act
- 2022 No. 748, S.I. 2019/792, S.I. 2022/395
- 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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
 Taiwan | £1m | 44.5% | +12.1% |
 China | £252k | 10.7% | -24% |
 Vietnam | £220k | 9.4% | +14.3% |
 Japan | £197k | 8.4% | -43.4% |
 Germany | £137k | 5.9% | +7.3% |
 Italy | £135k | 5.8% | -8.1% |
 Slovakia | £100k | 4.3% | — |
 Austria | £53k | 2.3% | +1.8% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
TürkiyeWorld trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$111.1kUS$111.1k+US$1.3m+US$14.3m+> US$31m
Exports: 107
- Taiwan: US$113.9m
- South Korea: US$79.8m
- Vietnam: US$31m
- China: US$25m
- United States: US$22.5m
- Israel: US$21.5m
- Germany: US$18.8m
- Japan: US$17.2m
- Ireland: US$14.8m
- Malaysia: US$14.3m
- Austria: US$11m
- United Arab Emirates: US$9.9m
- United Kingdom: US$9.5m
- Netherlands: US$9.2m
- Thailand: US$9m
- Italy: US$5.7m
- France: US$5.2m
- Spain: US$4.9m
- Singapore: US$3.1m
- Denmark: US$2.3m
- Belgium: US$1.6m
- India: US$1.6m
- Czechia: US$1.5m
- Estonia: US$1.3m
- Poland: US$1.2m
- Switzerland: US$1.2m
- Hungary: US$1.1m
- Slovakia: US$1.1m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$1.1m
- Sweden: US$947.2k
- Cyprus: US$911.7k
- Australia: US$622k
- Türkiye: US$565.7k
- Portugal: US$488.9k
- Croatia: US$449.6k
- Philippines: US$448.5k
- Chile: US$422.4k
- Canada: US$383.4k
- Indonesia: US$364.4k
- Colombia: US$299.4k
- Greece: US$245.3k
- Luxembourg: US$238.6k
- Slovenia: US$212.9k
- Finland: US$204.2k
- Bulgaria: US$177k
- Lithuania: US$171k
- Mexico: US$154.9k
- Malta: US$111.1k
- Brazil: US$71.3k
- South Africa: US$67.6k
- Norway: US$55k
- Kuwait: US$46.7k
- Romania: US$45.6k
- Latvia: US$45.1k
- New Zealand: US$35.1k
- Greenland: US$29.8k
- Zambia: US$19.3k
- Armenia: US$17.2k
- Serbia: US$16.4k
- Bangladesh: US$15.9k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$182.3kUS$182.3k+US$835.1k+US$4.5m+> US$17.8m
Imports: 181
- Japan: US$135.7m
- United States: US$41.4m
- China: US$35.5m
- France: US$21.3m
- Taiwan: US$18.8m
- Mexico: US$17.8m
- Germany: US$17.1m
- Singapore: US$11.5m
- South Korea: US$11.3m
- Poland: US$10.6m
- United Arab Emirates: US$10.2m
- Italy: US$8.7m
- Netherlands: US$8.4m
- Slovakia: US$7.5m
- Vietnam: US$5.1m
- United Kingdom: US$5.1m
- Russia: US$4.7m
- Spain: US$4.5m
- Czechia: US$4.4m
- Egypt: US$3.9m
- India: US$3.6m
- Belgium: US$3.5m
- Sri Lanka: US$2.7m
- Canada: US$2.7m
- Chile: US$2.7m
- Austria: US$2.5m
- Kuwait: US$2.3m
- Romania: US$2m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$1.9m
- Denmark: US$1.7m
- Ukraine: US$1.7m
- Greece: US$1.7m
- Brazil: US$1.7m
- Norway: US$1.6m
- Australia: US$1.6m
- Malaysia: US$1.4m
- Hungary: US$1.3m
- Indonesia: US$1.2m
- Switzerland: US$1.2m
- Türkiye: US$1.1m
- Peru: US$1.1m
- Sweden: US$866.9k
- Portugal: US$851.7k
- Nigeria: US$835.1k
- Bulgaria: US$814.9k
- Panama: US$758.3k
- Thailand: US$756.4k
- Ireland: US$745.2k
- Tajikistan: US$649.4k
- Qatar: US$636.9k
- New Zealand: US$624.3k
- Finland: US$610.6k
- Croatia: US$601k
- Kazakhstan: US$594.5k
- Israel: US$569k
- Slovenia: US$566.7k
- Serbia: US$561.9k
- Bolivia: US$511.6k
- Armenia: US$471.9k
- Saudi Arabia: US$439.9k
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taiwan | US$113.9m | 25.4% |
| 2 |  South Korea | US$79.8m | 17.8% |
| 3 | Vietnam | US$31m | 6.9% |
| 4 | China | US$25m | 5.6% |
| 5 |  United States | US$22.5m | 5% |
| 6 |  Israel | US$21.5m | 4.8% |
| 7 | Germany | US$18.8m | 4.2% |
| 8 | Japan | US$17.2m | 3.8% |
| 9 |  Ireland | US$14.8m | 3.3% |
| 10 |  Malaysia | US$14.3m | 3.2% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan | US$135.7m | 30.3% |
| 2 | United States | US$41.4m | 9.2% |
| 3 | China | US$35.5m | 7.9% |
| 4 |  France | US$21.3m | 4.8% |
| 5 | Taiwan | US$18.8m | 4.2% |
| 6 |  Mexico | US$17.8m | 4% |
| 7 | Germany | US$17.1m | 3.8% |
| 8 |  Singapore | US$11.5m | 2.6% |
| 9 | South Korea | US$11.3m | 2.5% |
| 10 |  Poland | US$10.6m | 2.4% |
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 433 commodity codes
Trade Tariff changes 2026-07-22 · Source: trade-tariff.service.gov.uk
-
Sanctions · Applies from: CELEX 32026R0506 · Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
In the UK Global Tariff, subheading 8523.41 covers 3 tariff lines and the duty is duty-free.
The EU Combined Nomenclature divides subheading 8523.41 into 3 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
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 these goods worth £2.3m (down 19% on the year before), at an average of £10.29 per kg; Taiwan supplied 45%, followed by China.
World trade in these goods reached US$448.4m in 2024, down 3% on 2023.
Taiwan was the largest exporter with 25.4% of the total, ahead of South Korea.
Products classified here
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for discs, tapes, solid-state non-volatile storage devices: optical media, unrecorded?
Discs, tapes, solid-state non-volatile storage devices: optical media, unrecorded fall under HS subheading 8523.41, part of heading 8523, in section XVI of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on discs, tapes, solid-state non-volatile storage… in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 8523.41 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 discs, tapes, solid-state non-volatile storage… in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 8523.41 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 discs, tapes, solid-state non-volatile storage…?
Taiwan, with US$113.9m in 2024 (25.4% 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 Free 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 Taiwan (45%), China (11%) and Vietnam (9%), out of total imports of £2.3m.
Typical products
Everyday names, not part of the legal text.