Subheading · Chapter 86 · Heading 8609
8609.00: Containers (including containers for the transport of fluids) specially designed and equipped for carriage by one or more modes of transport
Shipping containers
8609.00 is the HS subheading for shipping containers, under heading 8609 in chapter 86.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 8609 00 10 00 Containers with an anti-radiation lead covering, for the transport of radioactive materials Freep/st
- 8609 00 90 00 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 1
- Additional dutyAdditional duties 35%
- Applies to goods from
- Belarus, Russia
- Legal act
- 2022 No. 376
- Documents
- 9008
Import requirements 5
- 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, Iraq, Russia, Syria, Ukraine
- Legal act
- 2022 No. 748, S.I. 2020/707, 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, North Korea, Russia
- Legal act
- S.I. 2019/461, S.I. 2019/411, 2020 No. 1665, S.I. 2019/855
- Import controlRestriction on entry into free circulation
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- Legal act
- S.I. 2019/583
- Documents
- L100 Import licence " controlled substances" (ozone), issued by the Commission
- Y902
- 9Y06
- Tariff lines
- on 1 of 2 lines
- Import controlImport control of fluorinated greenhouse gases
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- Legal act
- 517/2014
- Documents
- Y054 Goods labelled according to the provisions of Article 12 of Regulation (EU) 2024/573
- Y053
- Y986 Exemption from import prohibition according to Article 11.1 and 11.2 of Regulation (EU) 2024/573
- Y926
- 9066
- Y950
- Y123 Undertaking registered in the F-Gas Portal according to Article 20 of Regulation (EU) 2024/573
- Y124
- Y976
- Tariff lines
- on 1 of 2 lines
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 | £30.8m | 22.4% | +1% |
 Germany | £18.8m | 13.7% | -2.7% |
 United States | £18.2m | 13.2% | -42.8% |
| United Kingdom | £12.8m | 9.3% | +4.2% |
 Poland | £9.8m | 7.1% | +69.4% |
 Romania | £6.8m | 4.9% | +123.7% |
 Ireland | £6.7m | 4.8% | +447.4% |
 Italy | £5.6m | 4% | +142.7% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
EU
TürkiyeWorld trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$449.8kUS$449.8k+US$7.6m+US$45m+> US$185.4m
Exports: 186
- China: US$3.5bn
- United States: US$510m
- Poland: US$250.6m
- Germany: US$248.1m
- Netherlands: US$241.5m
- Italy: US$185.4m
- United Kingdom: US$162.5m
- France: US$157.1m
- Slovakia: US$111.6m
- South Korea: US$96.8m
- Czechia: US$77.1m
- Thailand: US$70.8m
- South Africa: US$69.6m
- Belgium: US$62.8m
- Canada: US$60.3m
- Spain: US$56.9m
- Singapore: US$49.6m
- Malaysia: US$45.8m
- Norway: US$45m
- India: US$43.2m
- Japan: US$42.8m
- United Arab Emirates: US$42.4m
- Türkiye: US$36.4m
- Denmark: US$35.5m
- Sweden: US$34m
- Mexico: US$31.1m
- Slovenia: US$28.2m
- Taiwan: US$27.6m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$25.4m
- Austria: US$24.9m
- Australia: US$21.5m
- Switzerland: US$16.7m
- Ireland: US$16.3m
- Hungary: US$15.7m
- Estonia: US$15.6m
- Russia: US$15.2m
- Finland: US$14.9m
- Fiji: US$14.3m
- Indonesia: US$14m
- Portugal: US$11m
- Ukraine: US$10.5m
- Romania: US$10m
- Vietnam: US$9.7m
- Qatar: US$9.2m
- Angola: US$8.9m
- Saudi Arabia: US$7.6m
- Jordan: US$7.6m
- New Zealand: US$7.3m
- Lithuania: US$7.2m
- Belarus: US$7.1m
- Croatia: US$6.5m
- Senegal: US$5.7m
- Kazakhstan: US$5.5m
- Bermuda: US$5.4m
- Côte d’Ivoire: US$4.9m
- Philippines: US$4.7m
- Madagascar: US$4.5m
- Egypt: US$4.5m
- Brazil: US$4m
- Bulgaria: US$4m
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$3.1mUS$3.1m+US$12.9m+US$102m+> US$272.9m
Imports: 214
- United States: US$835.1m
- Netherlands: US$378.5m
- Germany: US$366.6m
- France: US$339.4m
- South Korea: US$323.7m
- Bermuda: US$315.5m
- Japan: US$272.9m
- Singapore: US$235m
- United Arab Emirates: US$225.9m
- British Virgin Islands: US$193.4m
- Belgium: US$177.1m
- Canada: US$174.8m
- Russia: US$152.8m
- United Kingdom: US$150m
- Saudi Arabia: US$142.8m
- Australia: US$139.3m
- Sweden: US$127.1m
- Indonesia: US$111.9m
- China: US$108.3m
- Israel: US$105m
- Norway: US$104m
- India: US$102m
- Switzerland: US$88.5m
- Marshall Islands: US$77.3m
- Taiwan: US$75m
- Poland: US$72.3m
- Austria: US$70.6m
- Italy: US$62.7m
- Mexico: US$62.2m
- Spain: US$55.5m
- Denmark: US$50.4m
- Thailand: US$48m
- Malaysia: US$42.3m
- Türkiye: US$39.7m
- Cayman Islands: US$36.5m
- Chile: US$35.8m
- Brazil: US$31.5m
- Hungary: US$29.8m
- Qatar: US$28.4m
- Ireland: US$26.8m
- South Africa: US$26.2m
- New Zealand: US$23.3m
- Romania: US$23.1m
- Czechia: US$22.5m
- Luxembourg: US$21.7m
- Kazakhstan: US$20.9m
- Nigeria: US$20.7m
- Angola: US$20.6m
- Finland: US$20.6m
- Laos: US$19.8m
- Jordan: US$18.7m
- Peru: US$15.2m
- Slovakia: US$13.6m
- Philippines: US$12.9m
- Colombia: US$11.5m
- Kyrgyzstan: US$11.2m
- Greece: US$11m
- Ukraine: US$10.8m
- Uruguay: US$10.3m
- Guatemala: US$10.1m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | US$3.5bn | 52.1% |
| 2 | United States | US$510m | 7.6% |
| 3 | Poland | US$250.6m | 3.7% |
| 4 | Germany | US$248.1m | 3.7% |
| 5 |  Netherlands | US$241.5m | 3.6% |
| 6 | Italy | US$185.4m | 2.7% |
| 7 | United Kingdom | US$162.5m | 2.4% |
| 8 |  France | US$157.1m | 2.3% |
| 9 |  Slovakia | US$111.6m | 1.7% |
| 10 |  South Korea | US$96.8m | 1.4% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | US$835.1m | 12.4% |
| 2 | Netherlands | US$378.5m | 5.6% |
| 3 | Germany | US$366.6m | 5.4% |
| 4 | France | US$339.4m | 5% |
| 5 | South Korea | US$323.7m | 4.8% |
| 6 |  Bermuda | US$315.5m | 4.7% |
| 7 |  Japan | US$272.9m | 4% |
| 8 |  Singapore | US$235m | 3.5% |
| 9 |  United Arab Emirates | US$225.9m | 3.4% |
| 10 |  British Virgin Islands | US$193.4m | 2.9% |
Binding rulings for similar goods 18
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.
- N353881 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of a tank from Canada
- N346557 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of a transportation cask and disposable inserts from France
- H342569 U.S. CBP
Tariff classification of reusable transport tanks
- N333154 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of intermediate bulk containers from China
- N331400 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of an intermediate bulk container from China
- H324644 U.S. CBP
Application for Further Review of Protest No. 3501-22-102993; Tariff classification of collapsible metal containers
- 600013397 HMRC
A container tank. It is a carbon steel with butyl /LLDPE lined tank contained within a carbon steel frame. The tank is used for holding liquids/fluids. It can hold 17,000 litres and has a 4 bar working pressure and a 6 bar test pressure. The frame is equipped with fittings for carriage by one or…
- 600013398 HMRC
A container tank. It is a stainless-steel tank contained within a carbon steel frame. The tank is used for holding liquids/fluids. It can hold 20,000 litres and has a 4 bar working pressure. The frame is equipped with fittings for carriage by one or more modes of transport. The external dimensions…
- 600013396 HMRC
A container tank. It is a stainless-steel tank contained within a carbon steel frame. The tank is used for holding liquids/fluids. It can hold 8,000 litres and has a 4 bar working pressure. The frame is equipped with fittings for carriage by one or more modes of transport. The external dimensions…
- 600013393 HMRC
A container tank. It is a stainless-steel tank contained within a carbon steel frame. The tank is used for holding liquids/fluids. It can hold 4,546 litres and has a T7 2.67 bar/T11 4 bar working pressure and a T7 4 bar/T11 6 bar test pressure. The frame is equipped with fittings for carriage by…
- 600013394 HMRC
A container tank. It is a stainless-steel tank contained within a carbon steel frame. The tank is used for holding liquids/fluids. It can hold 4,800 litres and has a 4 bar working pressure and 6 bar test pressure. The frame is equipped with fittings for carriage by one or more modes of transport.…
- 600013395 HMRC
A container tank. It is a carbon steel with butyl /LLDPE lined tank contained within a carbon steel frame. The tank is used for holding liquids/fluids. It can hold 6,000 litres and has a 4 bar working pressure. The frame is equipped with fittings for carriage by one or more modes of transport. The…
18 rulings in total for this code
In the UK Global Tariff, subheading 8609.00 covers 2 tariff lines and the duty is duty-free.
The EU Combined Nomenclature divides subheading 8609.00 into 2 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 shipping containers worth £137.7m (down 3% on the year before), at an average of £4.00 per kg; China supplied 22%, followed by Germany.
World trade in shipping containers reached US$6.7bn in 2024, down 0.3% on 2023.
China was the largest exporter with 52.1% of the total, ahead of the United States.
Products classified here
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for containers (including containers for the transport of fluids) specially designed and equipped for carriage by one or more modes of transport?
Containers (including containers for the transport of fluids) specially designed and equipped for carriage by one or more modes of transport fall under HS subheading 8609.00, part of heading 8609, in section XVII of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on containers (including containers for the… in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 8609.00 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 containers (including containers for the… in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 8609.00 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 containers (including containers for the…?
China, with US$3.5bn in 2024 (52.1% of world exports).
Which countries can export shipping containers 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 shipping containers?
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 shipping containers from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were China (22%), Germany (14%) and United States (13%), out of total imports of £137.7m.
Typical products
Everyday names, not part of the legal text.