Subheading · Chapter 90 · Heading 9031
9031.41: For inspecting semiconductor wafers or devices (including integrated circuits) or for inspecting photomasks or reticles used in manufacturing semiconductor devices (including integrated circuits)
Wafer and photomask inspection instruments
9031.41 is the HS subheading for wafer and photomask inspection instruments, under heading 9031 in chapter 90.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 9031 41 00 00 For inspecting semiconductor wafers or devices (including integrated circuits) or for inspecting photomasks or reticles used in manufacturing semiconductor devices (including integrated circuits) 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, Russia, Syria, Ukraine
- Legal act
- S.I. 2020/707, 2023 No. 440, S.I. 2019/792, S.I. 2022/395
- Documents
- 9011
- 9022
- 9038
- 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
- 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 | £10.3m | 60.4% | +97.8% |
 Singapore | £4.1m | 24.4% | +294% |
 Germany | £692k | 4.1% | +25.5% |
 Israel | £674k | 4% | +6.3% |
 Poland | £579k | 3.4% | +274.6% |
 China | £282k | 1.7% | +35.7% |
 Italy | £86k | 0.5% | — |
 Norway | £73k | 0.4% | — |
Same subheading in other tariffs
TürkiyeWorld trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$231kUS$231k+US$7m+US$179m+> US$1bn
Exports: 73
- United States: US$3bn
- Singapore: US$2bn
- Japan: US$1bn
- Israel: US$1bn
- Germany: US$346m
- Taiwan: US$312m
- China: US$180m
- South Korea: US$179m
- Malaysia: US$164m
- France: US$28m
- Netherlands: US$27m
- Hungary: US$23m
- Austria: US$14m
- Canada: US$13m
- Czechia: US$8m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$8m
- Spain: US$7m
- Switzerland: US$7m
- Australia: US$6m
- Vietnam: US$5m
- United Kingdom: US$4m
- Sweden: US$4m
- Ireland: US$4m
- Philippines: US$3m
- Italy: US$3m
- Belgium: US$2m
- Thailand: US$2m
- Norway: US$2m
- India: US$1m
- Poland: US$948k
- Luxembourg: US$858k
- Mexico: US$773k
- Greece: US$687k
- Denmark: US$676k
- Morocco: US$347k
- Finland: US$231k
- Estonia: US$189k
- Russia: US$171k
- Cambodia: US$160k
- Serbia: US$153k
- Portugal: US$152k
- Romania: US$137k
- Türkiye: US$103k
- Indonesia: US$56k
- South Africa: US$55k
- Lithuania: US$54k
- Brunei: US$51k
- Croatia: US$26k
- Honduras: US$22k
- Tunisia: US$20k
- Slovakia: US$20k
- Tonga: US$19k
- Uzbekistan: US$17k
- Bulgaria: US$17k
- United Arab Emirates: US$16k
- New Zealand: US$12k
- Panama: US$10k
- Slovenia: US$9k
- Azerbaijan: US$8k
- Georgia: US$7k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$62kUS$62k+US$2m+US$40m+> US$714m
Imports: 131
- China: US$4bn
- South Korea: US$1bn
- Japan: US$759m
- United States: US$714m
- Taiwan: US$463m
- Singapore: US$262m
- Ireland: US$208m
- Malaysia: US$139m
- Germany: US$107m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$97m
- Russia: US$81m
- France: US$59m
- Italy: US$40m
- Austria: US$29m
- Luxembourg: US$21m
- Israel: US$21m
- Thailand: US$20m
- Vietnam: US$19m
- India: US$19m
- Belgium: US$18m
- Netherlands: US$18m
- Philippines: US$10m
- United Kingdom: US$9m
- Canada: US$7m
- Switzerland: US$6m
- Mexico: US$5m
- Finland: US$5m
- Laos: US$4m
- Indonesia: US$4m
- Türkiye: US$3m
- Czechia: US$3m
- Costa Rica: US$2m
- Sweden: US$2m
- Spain: US$1m
- Poland: US$1m
- Australia: US$1m
- Portugal: US$1m
- Romania: US$1m
- Denmark: US$944k
- Hungary: US$882k
- Saudi Arabia: US$670k
- United Arab Emirates: US$560k
- Slovakia: US$492k
- Cambodia: US$479k
- New Zealand: US$419k
- Norway: US$362k
- Brazil: US$355k
- Slovenia: US$350k
- Uzbekistan: US$310k
- Sri Lanka: US$201k
- Croatia: US$199k
- Lithuania: US$187k
- Ukraine: US$127k
- Kazakhstan: US$121k
- Greece: US$105k
- Serbia: US$101k
- Iran: US$98k
- Egypt: US$93k
- Bangladesh: US$92k
- South Africa: US$91k
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | US$3bn | 30.9% |
| 2 | Singapore | US$2bn | 26% |
| 3 |  Japan | US$1bn | 13.4% |
| 4 | Israel | US$1bn | 13.4% |
| 5 | Germany | US$346m | 4.2% |
| 6 |  Taiwan | US$312m | 3.7% |
| 7 | China | US$180m | 2.2% |
| 8 |  South Korea | US$179m | 2.2% |
| 9 |  Malaysia | US$164m | 2% |
| 10 |  France | US$28m | 0.3% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | US$4bn | 44.3% |
| 2 | South Korea | US$1bn | 17.5% |
| 3 | Japan | US$759m | 9.1% |
| 4 | United States | US$714m | 8.6% |
| 5 | Taiwan | US$463m | 5.6% |
| 6 | Singapore | US$262m | 3.1% |
| 7 |  Ireland | US$208m | 2.5% |
| 8 | Malaysia | US$139m | 1.7% |
| 9 | Germany | US$107m | 1.3% |
| 10 |  Hong Kong SAR China | US$97m | 1.2% |
Binding rulings for similar goods 3
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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Sanctions · Applies from: CELEX 32026R0506 · Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
The UK Global Tariff has one tariff line for subheading 9031.41; the duty is duty-free.
Subheading 9031.41 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 wafer and photomask inspection instruments into the UK came to £17m between September 2025 and August 2026 (up 69% on the year before); United States supplied 60%, followed by Singapore.
In 2024, countries exported wafer and photomask inspection instruments worth US$8bn (+4.9% year on year).
The largest exporter was the United States (US$3bn), followed by Singapore.
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for for inspecting semiconductor wafers or devices (including integrated circuits) or for inspecting photomasks or reticles used in manufacturing semiconductor devices (including integrated circuits)?
For inspecting semiconductor wafers or devices (including integrated circuits) or for inspecting photomasks or reticles used in manufacturing semiconductor devices (including integrated circuits) fall under HS subheading 9031.41, part of heading 9031, in section XVIII of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on for inspecting semiconductor wafers or devices in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 9031.41 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 for inspecting semiconductor wafers or devices in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 9031.41 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 for inspecting semiconductor wafers or devices?
The United States, with US$3bn in 2024 (30.9% of world exports).
Which countries can export wafer and photomask inspection instruments 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 wafer and photomask inspection instruments?
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 wafer and photomask inspection instruments from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were United States (60%), Singapore (24%) and Germany (4%), out of total imports of £17m.