Heading · Chapter 85
8549: Electrical and electronic waste and scrap
Heading 8549 is divided into 11 six-digit subheadings and sits in chapter 85, electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof.
Duty rates compared
UK Free Third-country duty 21 tariff lines 
EU Free – 4.7% Third-country duty 20 tariff lines · average 1.6% 
Türkiye Free – 4.7% Third-country duty 20 tariff lines · average 2.5% 
USA Free General (MFN) 13 tariff lines 
Canada Free General (MFN) 11 tariff lines 
Mexico 15% General (MFN) 11 tariff lines 
Brazil 3.6% – 16.2% General (MFN) 11 tariff lines · average 15.1% 
Argentina 3.6% – 18% General (MFN) 11 tariff lines · average 16.7% 
Peru Free General (MFN) 11 tariff lines 
New Zealand Free General (MFN) 11 tariff lines 
Japan Free General (MFN) 11 tariff lines 
Taiwan Free – 2.5% General (MFN) 12 tariff lines · average 1.7% · 6× specific or compound duty 
GCC Free – 5% General (MFN) 12 tariff lines · average 4.6% 
Switzerland Free General (MFN) 11 tariff lines 
Norway Free General (MFN) 11 tariff lines 
North Macedonia 7% – 13% General (MFN) 20 tariff lines · average 11.2% 
Nigeria 20% General (MFN) 11 tariff lines Subheadings 11
- 8549.11Waste and scrap of lead-acid accumulators; spent lead-acid accumulatorsSpent lead-acid batteries (scrap)
- 8549.12Other, containing lead, cadmium or mercury
- 8549.13Sorted by chemical type and not containing lead, cadmium or mercury
- 8549.14Unsorted and not containing lead, cadmium or mercury
- 8549.19Waste and scrap of primary cells, primary batteries: other
- 8549.21Containing primary cells, primary batteries, electric accumulators, mercury-switches, glass from cathode-ray tubes or other activated glass, or electrical or electronic components containing cadmium, mercury, lead or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
- 8549.29Of a kind used principally for the recovery of precious: other
- 8549.31Containing primary cells, primary batteries, electric accumulators, mercury-switches, glass from cathode-ray tubes or other activated glass, or electrical or electronic components containing cadmium, mercury, lead or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
- 8549.39Other electrical and electronic assemblies and printed: other
- 8549.91Containing primary cells, primary batteries, electric accumulators, mercury-switches, glass from cathode-ray tubes or other activated glass, or electrical or electronic components containing cadmium, mercury, lead or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
- 8549.99Electrical and electronic waste and scrap: other, other
EU: imports by month
World trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$2mUS$2m+US$13m+US$36m+> US$110m
Exports: 189
- United States: US$1bn
- Netherlands: US$286m
- Germany: US$214m
- Italy: US$131m
- Taiwan: US$122m
- France: US$110m
- United Kingdom: US$95m
- Canada: US$90m
- Brazil: US$84m
- Poland: US$72m
- United Arab Emirates: US$70m
- Yemen: US$60m
- Philippines: US$51m
- Australia: US$42m
- Singapore: US$42m
- Romania: US$39m
- Lithuania: US$37m
- China: US$36m
- Dominican Republic: US$36m
- Portugal: US$32m
- Czechia: US$29m
- Sweden: US$29m
- Switzerland: US$27m
- Norway: US$27m
- Türkiye: US$27m
- Indonesia: US$26m
- South Africa: US$26m
- Mexico: US$25m
- Denmark: US$24m
- Japan: US$23m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$22m
- South Korea: US$22m
- New Zealand: US$21m
- Spain: US$21m
- Slovakia: US$20m
- Vietnam: US$20m
- Hungary: US$20m
- Thailand: US$19m
- Israel: US$19m
- Finland: US$18m
- Colombia: US$18m
- Panama: US$17m
- Ireland: US$17m
- Guatemala: US$16m
- Estonia: US$16m
- Malaysia: US$16m
- Kuwait: US$15m
- Honduras: US$13m
- Bosnia & Herzegovina: US$13m
- Austria: US$13m
- Saudi Arabia: US$13m
- Belgium: US$12m
- Nigeria: US$9m
- El Salvador: US$8m
- Bulgaria: US$7m
- Bahrain: US$7m
- Kyrgyzstan: US$7m
- Greece: US$6m
- India: US$6m
- Senegal: US$6m
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$112kUS$112k+US$3m+US$25m+> US$224m
Imports: 166
- Japan: US$900m
- South Korea: US$592m
- India: US$476m
- Mexico: US$470m
- Belgium: US$224m
- Germany: US$203m
- Canada: US$126m
- Bulgaria: US$87m
- Sweden: US$83m
- Spain: US$78m
- Netherlands: US$75m
- Singapore: US$49m
- Pakistan: US$40m
- United States: US$36m
- Czechia: US$36m
- Poland: US$32m
- France: US$25m
- United Kingdom: US$24m
- Greece: US$23m
- Malaysia: US$21m
- Estonia: US$21m
- Portugal: US$19m
- Ecuador: US$17m
- Austria: US$17m
- Lithuania: US$17m
- Romania: US$13m
- Slovenia: US$10m
- Philippines: US$9m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$8m
- Oman: US$6m
- North Macedonia: US$6m
- Thailand: US$6m
- Indonesia: US$6m
- Serbia: US$6m
- Italy: US$6m
- Costa Rica: US$6m
- Norway: US$5m
- Hungary: US$4m
- Croatia: US$4m
- United Arab Emirates: US$4m
- Latvia: US$3m
- Taiwan: US$3m
- China: US$3m
- Kazakhstan: US$3m
- Nigeria: US$3m
- Slovakia: US$2m
- Panama: US$2m
- South Africa: US$2m
- Brazil: US$2m
- Australia: US$2m
- Finland: US$2m
- Türkiye: US$2m
- Togo: US$2m
- Rwanda: US$1m
- Laos: US$769k
- Switzerland: US$732k
- Israel: US$526k
- Zimbabwe: US$506k
- Denmark: US$498k
- Saudi Arabia: US$494k
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | US$1bn | 33.8% |
| 2 |  Netherlands | US$286m | 7.5% |
| 3 |  Germany | US$214m | 5.6% |
| 4 |  Italy | US$131m | 3.4% |
| 5 | Taiwan | US$122m | 3.2% |
| 6 |  France | US$110m | 2.9% |
| 7 | United Kingdom | US$95m | 2.5% |
| 8 | Canada | US$90m | 2.4% |
| 9 | Brazil | US$84m | 2.2% |
| 10 |  Poland | US$72m | 1.9% |
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.
- Sanctions · Applies from:
The Iran (Sanctions) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
S.I. 2026/983 · Source: legislation.gov.uk
- Sanctions · Applies from:
CELEX 32026R1846 · Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
- Sanctions · Applies from:
CELEX 32026R1848 · Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
- Tariff change
FR Doc. 2026-11158 · 91 FR 33854 · Source: federalregister.gov
The UK Global Tariff divides heading 8549 into 21 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
In the EU Combined Nomenclature, heading 8549 covers 20 tariff lines and the duty is between 0% and 4.7%. 11 of them are duty-free.
The Turkish Customs Tariff Schedule divides heading 8549 into 20 tariff lines; the duty is between 0% and 4.7% (average 2.5%). 7 of them are duty-free.
In the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, heading 8549 covers 13 tariff lines and the duty is duty-free.
The Customs Tariff of Canada divides heading 8549 into 11 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
In the Mexican Tariff (TIGIE), heading 8549 covers 11 tariff lines and the duty is 15%.
The Brazilian Tariff (NCM/TEC) divides heading 8549 into 11 tariff lines; the duty is between 3.6% and 16.2% (average 15.1%).
In the Argentine Tariff (NCM-SIM), heading 8549 covers 11 tariff lines and the duty is between 3.6% and 18%.
The Customs Tariff of Peru divides heading 8549 into 11 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
In the Working Tariff Document of New Zealand, heading 8549 covers 11 tariff lines and the duty is duty-free.
The Customs Tariff Schedules of Japan divides heading 8549 into 11 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
In the Customs Import Tariff of Taiwan, heading 8549 covers 12 tariff lines and the duty is between 0% and 2.5%. 2 of them are duty-free. 6 lines have a specific or compound duty.
The GCC Common Customs Tariff divides heading 8549 into 12 tariff lines; the duty is between 0% and 5% (average 4.6%). 1 of them is duty-free.
In the Swiss Customs Tariff (Tares), heading 8549 covers 11 tariff lines and the duty is duty-free.
The Customs Tariff of Norway divides heading 8549 into 11 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
In the Customs Tariff of North Macedonia, heading 8549 covers 20 tariff lines and the duty is between 7% and 13%.
The ECOWAS Common External Tariff (Nigeria) divides heading 8549 into 11 tariff lines; the duty is 20%.
In 2024, countries exported heading 8549 goods worth US$4bn (+14.7% year on year).
The largest exporter was the United States (US$1bn), followed by the Netherlands.
The biggest buyer was Japan, with imports of US$900m.
The United Kingdom ranked 7th among 189 exporters with US$95m.
The United Kingdom imported US$24m.
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 electrical and electronic waste and scrap?
Electrical and electronic waste and scrap fall under HS heading 8549, part of chapter 85, in section XVI of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on electrical and electronic waste and scrap in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 8549 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 electrical and electronic waste and scrap in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 8549 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 0% to 4.7%, depending on the line. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most electrical and electronic waste and scrap?
The United States, with US$1bn in 2024 (33.8% of world exports).