Subheading · Chapter 90 · Heading 9018
9018.32: Tubular metal needles and needles for sutures
Metal needles and suture needles
9018.32 is the HS subheading for metal needles and suture needles, under heading 9018 in chapter 90.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 9018 32 00 00 Tubular metal needles and needles for sutures
- 9018 32 10 00 Tubular metal needles Free
- 9018 32 90 00 Needles for sutures 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 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)
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
- Legal act
- S.I. 2019/461, 2020 No. 1665
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
 United States | £19.5m | 26.5% | +13.6% |
 China | £13m | 17.6% | -22.9% |
 Germany | £5.6m | 7.5% | +35.3% |
 Singapore | £5.4m | 7.3% | -1.4% |
 Israel | £4m | 5.5% | -0.2% |
 Ireland | £3.7m | 5% | -36% |
 Japan | £3m | 4.1% | +2.5% |
 Italy | £2.6m | 3.6% | +35.4% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
TürkiyeWorld trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$323kUS$323k+US$16m+US$85m+> US$308m
Exports: 125
- United States: US$579m
- Ireland: US$376m
- China: US$375m
- Mexico: US$308m
- Japan: US$279m
- Germany: US$271m
- Thailand: US$127m
- South Korea: US$116m
- Belgium: US$111m
- Poland: US$111m
- Netherlands: US$97m
- United Kingdom: US$85m
- Vietnam: US$83m
- Singapore: US$79m
- Costa Rica: US$68m
- Dominican Republic: US$67m
- India: US$67m
- Switzerland: US$66m
- France: US$65m
- Brazil: US$54m
- Denmark: US$45m
- Italy: US$38m
- Malaysia: US$37m
- Israel: US$37m
- Spain: US$32m
- Philippines: US$32m
- Australia: US$23m
- Czechia: US$22m
- Slovakia: US$17m
- Canada: US$16m
- Türkiye: US$14m
- Colombia: US$13m
- Sweden: US$13m
- Austria: US$12m
- Taiwan: US$8m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$5m
- Hungary: US$3m
- Lithuania: US$2m
- Finland: US$2m
- Romania: US$2m
- Indonesia: US$2m
- South Africa: US$2m
- Portugal: US$1m
- Bulgaria: US$826k
- Tunisia: US$824k
- Slovenia: US$757k
- Croatia: US$730k
- Argentina: US$676k
- Mauritius: US$642k
- Kazakhstan: US$530k
- Eswatini: US$513k
- Peru: US$489k
- Nicaragua: US$489k
- United Arab Emirates: US$485k
- Kenya: US$483k
- Pakistan: US$450k
- Luxembourg: US$438k
- Greece: US$398k
- Estonia: US$388k
- Paraguay: US$323k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$920kUS$920k+US$7m+US$42m+> US$117m
Imports: 210
- United States: US$669m
- China: US$446m
- Germany: US$268m
- Mexico: US$257m
- Netherlands: US$196m
- Belgium: US$132m
- Spain: US$117m
- Japan: US$111m
- France: US$98m
- Canada: US$88m
- Poland: US$88m
- Italy: US$86m
- United Kingdom: US$81m
- India: US$80m
- Costa Rica: US$67m
- Switzerland: US$60m
- Brazil: US$60m
- Australia: US$50m
- Türkiye: US$43m
- Denmark: US$42m
- South Korea: US$42m
- Russia: US$36m
- Taiwan: US$34m
- Austria: US$32m
- Singapore: US$31m
- Czechia: US$29m
- Thailand: US$25m
- Malaysia: US$24m
- Sweden: US$22m
- Ireland: US$21m
- Indonesia: US$19m
- Vietnam: US$19m
- Saudi Arabia: US$18m
- United Arab Emirates: US$17m
- Israel: US$17m
- Colombia: US$16m
- Egypt: US$15m
- Dominican Republic: US$15m
- Norway: US$13m
- South Africa: US$12m
- Chile: US$11m
- Argentina: US$11m
- Finland: US$10m
- Algeria: US$10m
- Peru: US$10m
- Hungary: US$10m
- Portugal: US$9m
- Pakistan: US$8m
- Greece: US$8m
- Philippines: US$8m
- Ukraine: US$8m
- Serbia: US$7m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$7m
- Iran: US$6m
- Romania: US$6m
- New Zealand: US$5m
- Kazakhstan: US$5m
- Slovakia: US$5m
- Croatia: US$5m
- Slovenia: US$5m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | US$579m | 15.3% |
| 2 | Ireland | US$376m | 10% |
| 3 | China | US$375m | 9.9% |
| 4 |  Mexico | US$308m | 8.2% |
| 5 | Japan | US$279m | 7.4% |
| 6 | Germany | US$271m | 7.2% |
| 7 |  Thailand | US$127m | 3.4% |
| 8 |  South Korea | US$116m | 3.1% |
| 9 |  Belgium | US$111m | 2.9% |
| 10 |  Poland | US$111m | 2.9% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | US$669m | 17.7% |
| 2 | China | US$446m | 11.8% |
| 3 | Germany | US$268m | 7.1% |
| 4 | Mexico | US$257m | 6.8% |
| 5 |  Netherlands | US$196m | 5.2% |
| 6 | Belgium | US$132m | 3.5% |
| 7 |  Spain | US$117m | 3.1% |
| 8 | Japan | US$111m | 2.9% |
| 9 |  France | US$98m | 2.6% |
| 10 |  Canada | US$88m | 2.3% |
Binding rulings for similar goods 2
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.
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.
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Classification · Applies from: CELEX 32026R1873 · Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
In the UK Global Tariff, subheading 9018.32 covers 2 tariff lines and the duty is duty-free.
The EU Combined Nomenclature divides subheading 9018.32 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 metal needles and suture needles worth £73.8m (down 0% on the year before), at an average of £29.86 per kg; United States supplied 27%, followed by China.
World trade in metal needles and suture needles reached US$4bn in 2024, down 2% on 2023.
The United States was the largest exporter with 15.3% of the total, ahead of Ireland.
Products classified here
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for tubular metal needles and needles for sutures?
Tubular metal needles and needles for sutures fall under HS subheading 9018.32, part of heading 9018, in section XVIII of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on tubular metal needles and needles for sutures in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 9018.32 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 tubular metal needles and needles for sutures in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 9018.32 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 tubular metal needles and needles for sutures?
The United States, with US$579m in 2024 (15.3% of world exports).
Which countries can export metal needles and suture needles 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 metal needles and suture needles?
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 metal needles and suture needles from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were United States (27%), China (18%) and Germany (8%), out of total imports of £73.8m.