Subheading · Chapter 90 · Heading 9012
9012.10: Microscopes other than optical microscopes; diffraction apparatus
Electron microscopes and diffraction apparatus
9012.10 is the HS subheading for electron microscopes and diffraction apparatus, under heading 9012 in chapter 90.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 9012 10 00 00 Microscopes other than optical microscopes; diffraction apparatus 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. 598
- Documents
- 9014
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
- Iraq, Syria, Ukraine
- Legal act
- S.I. 2020/707, S.I. 2019/792, S.I. 2022/395
- Documents
- 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
- Documents
- Y966 Goods other than those described in the MG footnotes linked to the measure (Missile Technology Control Regime list - Annex III of Reg. (EU) 267/2012)
- Y920 Goods other than those described in the footnotes linked to the measure
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
 Netherlands | £23.6m | 49.8% | +5,294.9% |
 Czechia | £8.7m | 18.5% | -29.5% |
 Germany | £5.4m | 11.3% | +24.6% |
 Japan | £3.5m | 7.5% | -25% |
 United States | £2.6m | 5.5% | +91.8% |
 Ireland | £961k | 2% | +96.2% |
 China | £488k | 1% | +2.3% |
 France | £450k | 1% | +54% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
EU
TürkiyeWorld trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$176kUS$176k+US$3m+US$58m+> US$639m
Exports: 96
- Czechia: US$1bn
- Japan: US$830m
- Netherlands: US$639m
- Germany: US$307m
- United Kingdom: US$209m
- United States: US$167m
- Israel: US$153m
- South Korea: US$80m
- Singapore: US$58m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$52m
- China: US$45m
- Switzerland: US$22m
- Taiwan: US$17m
- Malaysia: US$16m
- France: US$15m
- Italy: US$11m
- Spain: US$10m
- Belgium: US$5m
- Canada: US$5m
- Austria: US$4m
- Denmark: US$4m
- Ireland: US$3m
- Australia: US$3m
- Türkiye: US$3m
- Sweden: US$3m
- Hungary: US$2m
- Poland: US$2m
- Estonia: US$1m
- Greece: US$1m
- Portugal: US$1m
- Kazakhstan: US$1m
- India: US$825k
- Finland: US$775k
- Slovenia: US$771k
- Romania: US$727k
- Lithuania: US$558k
- Latvia: US$527k
- Thailand: US$454k
- Bahrain: US$335k
- Russia: US$281k
- South Africa: US$232k
- Vietnam: US$227k
- Colombia: US$192k
- Mexico: US$180k
- Bulgaria: US$176k
- Kyrgyzstan: US$160k
- Brazil: US$150k
- Luxembourg: US$138k
- United Arab Emirates: US$120k
- Croatia: US$116k
- Ethiopia: US$112k
- Uruguay: US$101k
- Norway: US$101k
- Ukraine: US$81k
- Iran: US$78k
- Slovakia: US$73k
- New Zealand: US$71k
- Nigeria: US$58k
- Indonesia: US$57k
- Guyana: US$56k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$260kUS$260k+US$4m+US$19m+> US$166m
Imports: 166
- China: US$1bn
- South Korea: US$610m
- Netherlands: US$460m
- United States: US$428m
- Taiwan: US$166m
- Japan: US$127m
- Germany: US$127m
- Israel: US$70m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$60m
- India: US$53m
- Singapore: US$50m
- France: US$48m
- Italy: US$35m
- United Kingdom: US$34m
- Canada: US$34m
- Brazil: US$20m
- Malaysia: US$19m
- United Arab Emirates: US$18m
- Switzerland: US$17m
- Belgium: US$17m
- Vietnam: US$15m
- Spain: US$15m
- Australia: US$14m
- Poland: US$13m
- Indonesia: US$12m
- Russia: US$12m
- Sweden: US$12m
- Czechia: US$12m
- Austria: US$11m
- Portugal: US$11m
- Thailand: US$11m
- Romania: US$8m
- Saudi Arabia: US$8m
- Ireland: US$7m
- Türkiye: US$7m
- Mexico: US$7m
- Ukraine: US$7m
- Kazakhstan: US$5m
- Finland: US$4m
- Slovenia: US$4m
- New Zealand: US$4m
- Uzbekistan: US$3m
- Norway: US$3m
- Hungary: US$3m
- Philippines: US$3m
- Chile: US$3m
- South Africa: US$3m
- Greece: US$3m
- Peru: US$2m
- Morocco: US$2m
- Argentina: US$2m
- Denmark: US$1m
- Bulgaria: US$1m
- Armenia: US$1m
- Cyprus: US$1m
- Kuwait: US$1m
- Bangladesh: US$1m
- Estonia: US$934k
- Pakistan: US$904k
- Eswatini: US$902k
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Czechia | US$1bn | 35.1% |
| 2 | Japan | US$830m | 20.1% |
| 3 | Netherlands | US$639m | 15.5% |
| 4 | Germany | US$307m | 7.4% |
| 5 | United Kingdom | US$209m | 5.1% |
| 6 | United States | US$167m | 4.1% |
| 7 |  Israel | US$153m | 3.7% |
| 8 |  South Korea | US$80m | 1.9% |
| 9 |  Singapore | US$58m | 1.4% |
| 10 |  Hong Kong SAR China | US$52m | 1.3% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | US$1bn | 35.9% |
| 2 | South Korea | US$610m | 14.8% |
| 3 | Netherlands | US$460m | 11.1% |
| 4 | United States | US$428m | 10.4% |
| 5 |  Taiwan | US$166m | 4% |
| 6 | Japan | US$127m | 3.1% |
| 7 | Germany | US$127m | 3.1% |
| 8 | Israel | US$70m | 1.7% |
| 9 | Hong Kong SAR China | US$60m | 1.4% |
| 10 |  India | US$53m | 1.3% |
Binding rulings for similar goods 1
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.
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The tariff classification of a fluorescence confocal microscope from France
Subheading 9012.10 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 9012.10; 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 electron microscopes and diffraction apparatus worth £47.3m (up 81% on the year before), at an average of £108.21 per kg; Netherlands supplied 50%, followed by Czechia.
World trade in electron microscopes and diffraction apparatus reached US$4bn in 2024, up 14% on 2023.
The Czechia was the largest exporter with 35.1% of the total, ahead of Japan.
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for microscopes other than optical microscopes; diffraction apparatus?
Microscopes other than optical microscopes; diffraction apparatus fall under HS subheading 9012.10, part of heading 9012, in section XVIII of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on microscopes other than optical microscopes in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 9012.10 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 microscopes other than optical microscopes in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 9012.10 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 microscopes other than optical microscopes?
The Czechia, with US$1bn in 2024 (35.1% of world exports).
Which countries can export electron microscopes and diffraction apparatus 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 electron microscopes and diffraction apparatus?
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 electron microscopes and diffraction apparatus from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were Netherlands (50%), Czechia (19%) and Germany (11%), out of total imports of £47.3m.