Subheading · Chapter 90 · Heading 9015

9015.10

9015.10: Surveying: rangefinders

Rangefinders

Official description Rangefinders

9015.10 is the HS subheading for rangefinders, under heading 9015 in chapter 90.

What you pay

Importing into UK

Customs duty Free standard rate depends on the country of origin
Additional duties and charges 2 additional measures Import requirements: 3
VAT 20.00 % import VAT
Duty calculatorCalculate duty and taxes →

Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff

UK lines →
  1. 9015 10 00 00 Rangefinders 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 2

  • Additional dutyAdditional duties 35%
    Applies to goods from
    Belarus, Russia
    Legal act
    2022 No. 598
    Documents
    • 9014
  • 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

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 schemeCountriesRate
standard rate (no agreement)—Free
DCTS Comprehensive
Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin and 38 more

Afghanistan, 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")
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia and 23 more

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden

Free
DCTS Enhanced
Algeria, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Congo - Brazzaville and 13 more

Algeria, 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 more

Antigua & 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 more

Anguilla, 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

last 12 months£42m+0.8% · previous 12 months
Average import price£254.73 per kg
Jan 2024: £1.9mFeb 2024: £2.3mMar 2024: £3.9mApr 2024: £3.7mMay 2024: £2.1mJun 2024: £3.9mJul 2024: £2.9mAug 2024: £2.2mSept 2024: £1.7mOct 2024: £2.6mNov 2024: £1.9mDec 2024: £11.6mJan 2025: £2.1mFeb 2025: £1.5mMar 2025: £2.8mApr 2025: £3.5mMay 2025: £2.4mJun 2025: £4.1mJul 2025: £2.3mAug 2025: £5.4mSept 2025: £3.1mOct 2025: £4.4mNov 2025: £2.4mDec 2025: £7.3mJan 2026: £2.3mFeb 2026: £3mMar 2026: £5.7mApr 2026: £4mMay 2026: £1.8mJun 2026: £2.3mJul 2026: £3.4mAug 2026: £2.4m 202420252026
Data up to August 2026 (provisional) · Monthly data: Eurostat Comext (CC BY 4.0), HMRC (OGL v3.0)

Main suppliers, last 12 months

CountryValueShareChange
France £12m 28.6% +632.2%
China £8.6m 20.4% -0.6%
Israel £5.2m 12.4% -64.5%
Vietnam £3.1m 7.3% +53.4%
Germany £2.9m 7% +35.7%
Hungary £2.2m 5.3% +12.5%
Switzerland £1.5m 3.5% +43%
United States £1.2m 2.9% -66.8%

Same subheading in other tariffs

World trade in 2024

9015.10 · US$1bn

Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$79kUS$79k+US$7m+US$26m+> US$81m

Exports: 121
  1. China: US$303m
  2. Germany: US$154m
  3. Hong Kong SAR China: US$105m
  4. United States: US$81m
  5. Malaysia: US$75m
  6. France: US$72m
  7. Switzerland: US$58m
  8. Vietnam: US$41m
  9. Hungary: US$39m
  10. Israel: US$38m
  11. Japan: US$37m
  12. Myanmar (Burma): US$26m
  13. Taiwan: US$25m
  14. United Kingdom: US$20m
  15. Türkiye: US$20m
  16. Thailand: US$17m
  17. Finland: US$17m
  18. Netherlands: US$15m
  19. Sweden: US$14m
  20. Austria: US$14m
  21. South Africa: US$11m
  22. Canada: US$11m
  23. Spain: US$11m
  24. Singapore: US$10m
  25. Norway: US$10m
  26. Philippines: US$9m
  27. Czechia: US$8m
  28. Australia: US$8m
  29. South Korea: US$8m
  30. Mexico: US$7m
  31. Latvia: US$7m
  32. Belgium: US$6m
  33. Poland: US$5m
  34. Denmark: US$4m
  35. Portugal: US$3m
  36. Italy: US$3m
  37. India: US$2m
  38. Romania: US$2m
  39. Slovakia: US$2m
  40. Saudi Arabia: US$945k
  41. New Zealand: US$880k
  42. Kazakhstan: US$850k
  43. Estonia: US$797k
  44. Serbia: US$632k
  45. Indonesia: US$620k
  46. Kuwait: US$466k
  47. United Arab Emirates: US$426k
  48. Belarus: US$300k
  49. Uzbekistan: US$252k
  50. Luxembourg: US$234k
  51. Slovenia: US$211k
  52. Lithuania: US$184k
  53. Ireland: US$172k
  54. Russia: US$170k
  55. Sri Lanka: US$121k
  56. Chile: US$113k
  57. Bulgaria: US$107k
  58. Angola: US$90k
  59. Armenia: US$79k
  60. Brazil: US$79k

Top exporters

RankCountryValueShare
1 China US$303m 23.2%
2 Germany US$154m 11.8%
3 Hong Kong SAR China US$105m 8.1%
4 United States US$81m 6.2%
5 Malaysia US$75m 5.7%
6 France US$72m 5.5%
7 Switzerland US$58m 4.4%
8 Vietnam US$41m 3.2%
9 Hungary US$39m 3%
10 Israel US$38m 2.9%

Top importers

RankCountryValueShare
1 United States US$294m 22.5%
2 China US$151m 11.5%
3 Germany US$83m 6.3%
4 South Korea US$56m 4.3%
5 United Kingdom US$52m 4%
6 Japan US$50m 3.8%
7 Canada US$43m 3.3%
8 France US$39m 3%
9 Hong Kong SAR China US$37m 2.9%
10 Netherlands US$31m 2.4%

Binding rulings for similar goods 6

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.

  • N300548 U.S. CBP 9 October 2018 · 9015.10.40.00

    The tariff classification of an ultrasonic height sensor from China

  • N288934 U.S. CBP 1 September 2017 · 9015.10.40.00

    The tariff classification of a laser scanning unit from South Africa

  • N288800 U.S. CBP 22 August 2017 · 9015.10.40.00

    The tariff classification of a laser rangefinder from South Africa

  • N281448 U.S. CBP 22 December 2016 · 9015.10.40.00

    The tariff classification of ultrasonic sensors from multiple countries

  • N278637 U.S. CBP 23 September 2016 · 9015.10.40.00

    The tariff classification of railway inspection equipment from France

  • N271623 U.S. CBP 15 January 2016 · 9015.10.40.00

    The tariff classification of golf rangefinders from China

The UK Global Tariff has one tariff line for subheading 9015.10; the duty is duty-free.

Subheading 9015.10 is a single line in the EU Combined Nomenclature, where the duty is duty-free.

174 countries pay no duty in the UK thanks to trade agreements and preference schemes such as DCTS Comprehensive and European Union, against a standard rate of Free.

In the UK, additional duty of 35% applies on top of the customs duty to goods from Belarus and Russia.

Imports of rangefinders into the UK came to £42m between September 2025 and August 2026 (up 1% on the year before); France supplied 29%, followed by China.

In 2024, countries exported rangefinders worth US$1bn (+1% year on year).

The largest exporter was China (US$303m), followed by Germany.

Products classified here

Questions and answers

What is the HS code for surveying: rangefinders?

Surveying: rangefinders fall under HS subheading 9015.10, part of heading 9015, in section XVIII of the Harmonized System.

What is the import duty on surveying: rangefinders in the UK?

Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 9015.10 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 surveying: rangefinders in the EU?

Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 9015.10 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 surveying: rangefinders?

China, with US$303m in 2024 (23.2% of world exports).

Which countries can export rangefinders 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 rangefinders?

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 rangefinders from?

In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were France (29%), China (20%) and Israel (12%), out of total imports of £42m.