Subheading · Chapter 85 · Heading 8525
8525.81: High-speed goods as specified in subheading note 1 to this chapter
High-speed cameras
8525.81 is the HS subheading for high-speed cameras, under heading 8525 in chapter 85.
What you pay
Importing into UK from Barbados
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 8525 81 00 00 High-speed goods as specified in subheading note 1 to this chapter Freep/st
Additional duties and import rulesBarbados
Charges on top of the customs duty, and rules the goods must meet at the border.
Additional duties and charges 2
- 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
UK: imports by month
Main suppliers, last 12 months
| Country | Value | Share | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
 China | £8.4m | 27% | -21.2% |
 Vietnam | £6.6m | 21.4% | -8.6% |
 United States | £5m | 16% | +6.1% |
 France | £2.5m | 8.2% | +27.2% |
 Taiwan | £2.4m | 7.8% | +24.1% |
 Japan | £1.2m | 3.8% | -35.7% |
 South Korea | £759k | 2.5% | +11.6% |
 Germany | £672k | 2.2% | -65.4% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
EU
TürkiyeWorld trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$147.5kUS$147.5k+US$4.2m+US$38.1m+> US$123.1m
Exports: 131
- China: US$345.8m
- Thailand: US$176.1m
- Vietnam: US$143.7m
- Japan: US$123.1m
- United States: US$119.8m
- Netherlands: US$117.8m
- Germany: US$89.2m
- Taiwan: US$73.9m
- Canada: US$67.9m
- United Kingdom: US$59.5m
- Singapore: US$42.2m
- Ireland: US$39.7m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$38.1m
- France: US$32.1m
- Poland: US$27.8m
- Czechia: US$27.8m
- Indonesia: US$26.6m
- Israel: US$25.6m
- Italy: US$16.6m
- Austria: US$16.4m
- Kazakhstan: US$16.2m
- Spain: US$15.8m
- Mexico: US$13.9m
- South Korea: US$13.2m
- Hungary: US$11.5m
- Sweden: US$10.6m
- Denmark: US$9.4m
- Malaysia: US$8.7m
- Slovakia: US$6.8m
- United Arab Emirates: US$6.8m
- Belgium: US$5.5m
- Saudi Arabia: US$4.2m
- Switzerland: US$4m
- Myanmar (Burma): US$3.3m
- Estonia: US$3.1m
- Norway: US$3m
- Lithuania: US$2.6m
- Slovenia: US$2.6m
- Romania: US$2.5m
- Croatia: US$2.3m
- Finland: US$2.3m
- Portugal: US$2.2m
- South Africa: US$2m
- Russia: US$1.8m
- Australia: US$1.6m
- Luxembourg: US$1.4m
- Philippines: US$1.1m
- Greece: US$1m
- Latvia: US$712.3k
- Bahamas: US$708.2k
- India: US$691.2k
- New Zealand: US$684.1k
- Cambodia: US$644.4k
- Somalia: US$551.9k
- Bulgaria: US$454.1k
- Uzbekistan: US$440.5k
- Türkiye: US$333.1k
- Armenia: US$242.8k
- Ukraine: US$225.8k
- Malta: US$174.8k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$338.2kUS$338.2k+US$3.7m+US$27.3m+> US$55m
Imports: 202
- United States: US$214m
- Germany: US$130m
- Malaysia: US$99.2m
- Netherlands: US$86.1m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$85.7m
- France: US$78.8m
- Saudi Arabia: US$55m
- United Kingdom: US$54.4m
- Belgium: US$53.8m
- Australia: US$53.2m
- Italy: US$44.7m
- Indonesia: US$43.1m
- Canada: US$40.4m
- China: US$39.9m
- Philippines: US$39.4m
- Singapore: US$37.9m
- Thailand: US$33.2m
- Russia: US$32.9m
- Slovakia: US$32.2m
- Poland: US$28.9m
- Czechia: US$27.3m
- Ukraine: US$25.4m
- Spain: US$25.4m
- Taiwan: US$24.7m
- Mexico: US$23m
- Dominican Republic: US$21.4m
- South Korea: US$21m
- Kazakhstan: US$19.6m
- South Africa: US$19.2m
- Japan: US$19m
- Norway: US$17.9m
- Austria: US$16.6m
- Sweden: US$16.5m
- United Arab Emirates: US$16.1m
- Denmark: US$12.1m
- Ireland: US$11.7m
- Portugal: US$10.8m
- Switzerland: US$9.5m
- Egypt: US$9.4m
- Uzbekistan: US$9.3m
- Nigeria: US$9m
- New Zealand: US$7.8m
- Finland: US$6.7m
- Myanmar (Burma): US$6.6m
- Hungary: US$6.1m
- Chile: US$5m
- Estonia: US$4.7m
- Luxembourg: US$4.3m
- Greece: US$3.9m
- Lithuania: US$3.8m
- Peru: US$3.7m
- Türkiye: US$3.5m
- India: US$3.3m
- Romania: US$3.2m
- Qatar: US$3.2m
- Croatia: US$3.1m
- Bulgaria: US$3.1m
- Vietnam: US$3m
- Ecuador: US$2.9m
- Slovenia: US$2.8m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | US$345.8m | 19.5% |
| 2 |  Thailand | US$176.1m | 9.9% |
| 3 | Vietnam | US$143.7m | 8.1% |
| 4 | Japan | US$123.1m | 6.9% |
| 5 | United States | US$119.8m | 6.7% |
| 6 |  Netherlands | US$117.8m | 6.6% |
| 7 | Germany | US$89.2m | 5% |
| 8 | Taiwan | US$73.9m | 4.2% |
| 9 |  Canada | US$67.9m | 3.8% |
| 10 | United Kingdom | US$59.5m | 3.4% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | US$214m | 12% |
| 2 | Germany | US$130m | 7.3% |
| 3 |  Malaysia | US$99.2m | 5.6% |
| 4 | Netherlands | US$86.1m | 4.8% |
| 5 |  Hong Kong SAR China | US$85.7m | 4.8% |
| 6 | France | US$78.8m | 4.4% |
| 7 |  Saudi Arabia | US$55m | 3.1% |
| 8 | United Kingdom | US$54.4m | 3.1% |
| 9 |  Belgium | US$53.8m | 3% |
| 10 |  Australia | US$53.2m | 3% |
Binding rulings for similar goods 30
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.
- 600016313 HMRC
A compact, lightweight high-speed digital camera designed for industrial and scientific applications, including stress, strain and impact analysis, materials testing, experimental analysis and product drop testing. The camera incorporates an advanced back-side illuminated (BSI) sensor and provides…
- 600015737 HMRC
A high-speed digital camera used for precision photography in industrial applications. It is designed to capture images in rapid succession for slow-motion replay or frame-by-frame analysis. The camera does not record video. It can capture up to 233,338 frames per second at its lowest resolution.…
- 600015774 HMRC
High-speed digital camera for precision testing and research. The camera is designed to capture images in rapid succession for slow-motion viewing or frame-by-frame analysis. It does not record video. It is equipped with a 12-bit CMOS sensor and can capture images at speeds of up to 10,850 frames…
- 600015775 HMRC
A high-speed digital camera designed for precision testing and research applications. It captures a rapid sequence of still images for slow-motion viewing or frame-by-frame analysis. The camera does not record video. It is equipped with a 12-bit CMOS sensor and can capture images at speeds of up…
- 600015776 HMRC
A high-speed digital camera, typically used in laboratory or industrial testing environments. It is designed to capture a rapid sequence of still images for slow-motion viewing or frame-by-frame analysis. The camera is fitted with a 1-megapixel sensor and two HD-SDI ports, which allow connection…
- 600015734 HMRC
A high-speed camera designed for precision laboratory or industrial testing. It is capable of capturing images at up to 650,000 frames per second at its lowest resolution. Captured images may be transferred to a memory card or downloaded directly to a computer for analysis via the video port using…
30 rulings in total for this code
Code history
Since 2022; before, these goods were classified under 8525.80.
Subheading 8525.81 is a single line in the UK Global Tariff, where the duty is duty-free.
The EU Combined Nomenclature has one tariff line for subheading 8525.81; 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 high-speed cameras worth £31m (down 19% on the year before), at an average of £126.87 per kg; China supplied 27%, followed by Vietnam.
World trade in high-speed cameras reached US$1.8bn in 2024, down 7.4% on 2023.
China was the largest exporter with 19.5% of the total, ahead of Thailand.
Legal notes
Subheading notes
1. Subheading 852581 covers only high-speed television cameras, digital cameras and video camera recorders having one or more of the following characteristics:
- writing speed exceeding 0,5 mm per microsecond;
- time resolution 50 nanoseconds or less;
- frame rate exceeding 225000 frames per second.
2. In respect of subheading 852582, radiation-hardened or radiation-tolerant television cameras, digital cameras and video camera recorders are designed or shielded to enable operation in a high-radiation environment. These cameras are designed to withstand a total radiation dose of at least 50 × 103 Gy(silicon) (5 × 106 RAD (silicon)), without operational degradation.
3. Subheading 852583 covers night vision television cameras, digital cameras and video camera recorders which use a photocathode to convert available light to electrons, which can be amplified and converted to yield a visible image. This subheading excludes thermal imaging cameras (generally subheading 852589).
4. Subheading 852712 covers only cassette-players with built-in amplifier, without built-in loudspeaker, capable of operating without an external source of electric power and the dimensions of which do not exceed 170 mm × 100 mm × 45 mm.
5. For the purposes of subheadings 854911 to 854919, ‘spent primary cells, spent primary batteries and spent electric accumulators’ are those which are neither usable as such because of breakage, cutting-up, wear or other reasons, nor capable of being recharged.
Products classified here
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for high-speed goods as specified in subheading note 1 to this chapter?
High-speed goods as specified in subheading note 1 to this chapter fall under HS subheading 8525.81, part of heading 8525, in section XVI of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on high-speed goods as specified in subheading note… in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 8525.81 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 high-speed goods as specified in subheading note… in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 8525.81 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 high-speed goods as specified in subheading note…?
China, with US$345.8m in 2024 (19.5% of world exports).
Which countries can export high-speed cameras 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 high-speed cameras?
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 high-speed cameras from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were China (27%), Vietnam (21%) and United States (16%), out of total imports of £31m.