UK Global Tariff · commodity code · HS 9018.50
9018 50 90 00: Other ophthalmic instruments and appliances: optical
Other ophthalmic instruments
✓ Can be used in a customs declaration Data: UK Global Tariff · checked on 24 October 2026
- 9018 Instruments and appliances used in medical, surgical, dental or veterinary sciences, including scintigraphic apparatus, other electromedical apparatus and sight-testing instruments
- 9018 50 00 00 Other ophthalmic instruments and appliances
- 9018 50 90 00 Optical
What you pay
Importing into UK
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, North Korea
- Legal act
- S.I. 2019/461, S.I. 2019/411, 2020 No. 1665
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 |
Footnotes
TN207 The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 impose tr…
TN209 The Iran (Sanctions) (Nuclear) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 impose trade restrictions on cer…
TN701 According to the Council Regulation (EU) No 692/2014 (OJ L183, p. 9), as retained in UK La…
The prohibition shall not apply in respect of:
(a) the execution until 26 September 2014, of trade contracts concluded before 25 June 2014, or of ancillary contracts necessary for the execution of such contracts, provided that the natural or legal persons, entity or body seeking to perform the contract have notified, at least 10 working days in advance, the activity or transaction to the competent authority of the Member State in which they are established.
(b) goods originating in Crimea or Sevastopol which have been made available to the Ukrainian authorities for examination, for which compliance with the conditions conferring entitlement to preferential origin has been verified and for which a certificate of origin has been issued in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 and Regulation (EU) No 374/2014, as retained in UK Law, or in accordance with the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement
UK: imports by month · HS 9018.50
Main suppliers, last 12 months
| Country | Value | Share | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
 United States | £61.5m | 34.3% | -10.7% |
 China | £25.7m | 14.3% | -1.2% |
 Romania | £11.2m | 6.3% | +1.7% |
 Japan | £10.9m | 6.1% | -37.9% |
 Germany | £10.4m | 5.8% | -26.7% |
 Netherlands | £8.4m | 4.7% | +14% |
 Switzerland | £7.1m | 4% | -11.9% |
 Italy | £6.7m | 3.7% | +51.8% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
9018.50 Other ophthalmic instruments and appliances
EU Free Third-country duty 2 tariff lines 
Türkiye Free Third-country duty 2 tariff lines USA Free General (MFN) 1 tariff line 
Canada Free Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
Mexico 5% Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
Brazil 7.2% – 20% Third-country duty 2 tariff lines · average 13.6% 
Argentina Free – 12.6% Third-country duty 4 tariff lines · average 6.3% 
Peru Free Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
New Zealand Free Third-country duty 2 tariff lines Japan Free Third-country duty 2 tariff lines 
Taiwan Free Third-country duty 4 tariff lines 
GCC 5% Third-country duty 8 tariff lines Switzerland Free Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
Norway Free Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
North Macedonia Free Third-country duty 2 tariff lines 
Nigeria 5% Third-country duty 1 tariff line UK lines: 9018.50
Binding rulings for similar goods
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.
- 600016368 HMRC
A stainless steel axle tube for a slit lamp, forming part of the X-Y movement mechanism used to support and guide movement of the instrument during ophthalmic examination procedures.
- 600016370 HMRC
A curved aluminium mounting which is designed for installation between the headband assembly and optical unit of an indirect ophthalmoscope. The component supports and positions the optical unit on the head-mounted ophthalmic examination device used for examination of the eye.
- 600016371 HMRC
A curved aluminium mounting which is designed for installation between the headband assembly and optical unit of an indirect ophthalmoscope. The component supports and positions the optical unit on the head-mounted ophthalmic examination device used for examination of the eye.
- 600016365 HMRC
A cylindrical stainless steel shaft measuring approximately 18 inches in length and ½ inch in diameter, incorporating a central threaded section of approximately 3½ inches. The product is specifically designed for use in the chin-rest assembly of ophthalmic optical testing equipment.
- 600016366 HMRC
A proprietary stainless steel chinrest guide pillar for use solely in ophthalmic slit lamps. The component forms part of the patient positioning system, supporting and guiding the chinrest during ophthalmic examinations. It is cylindrical in shape, measuring approximately 438 mm in length and…
- 600016382 HMRC
An Ultrasound probe, which is a scan-probe. The probe is a piece of ophthalmic testing equipment used for measuring the axial length, anterior chamber depth and lens thickness of the eye. It is also used to calculate the optical power of the IOL to be implanted during cataract surgery. It has no…
- 600016383 HMRC
A Pachymeter probe (Ultrasound probe). This is a hand-held device designed specifically to be used upon the eyes to measure the depth of the thinnest point of your cornea. It has no other useful function outside of the environment for which it was designed.
- 600016375 HMRC
This is a proprietary part of an ophthalmic testing instrument, that is used for ophthalmic examinations. It has no other useful function outside of the environment for which it was designed. The part itself is a slimline wireless headband assembly for indirect ophthalmoscopes, and is used by the…
Legal notes
In the UK Global Tariff, 9018 50 90 00 is one of 2 lines under subheading 9018.50, other ophthalmic instruments and appliances.
The third-country duty is 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 other ophthalmic instruments (HS 9018.50) worth £178.9m (down 8% on the year before), at an average of £154.22 per kg; United States supplied 34%, followed by China.
For the same subheading, the EU duty is free, the Türkiye duty is free, the US duty is free, the Canada duty is free, the Mexico duty is 5%, the Brazil duty is 7.2%–20%, the Argentina duty is 0%–12.6%, the Peru duty is free, the New Zealand duty is free, the Japan duty is free, the Taiwan duty is free, the GCC duty is 5%, the Switzerland duty is free, the Norway duty is free, the North Macedonia duty is free and the Nigeria duty is 5%.
The UK imported goods of subheading 9018.50 worth US$234m in 2024; the largest supplier was the United States.
Questions and answers
What is the UK import duty for commodity code 9018 50 90 00?
The third-country duty in the UK Global Tariff is free. Preferential rates for goods from agreement countries, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which countries get a lower rate on 9018 50 90 00?
174 countries have a preferential rate on this line, 174 of them at 0%, under DCTS Comprehensive, European Union and DCTS Enhanced and other arrangements. The rate applies only to goods that meet the rules of origin of the agreement, with proof of origin. Choose the country of origin on this page to see its rate.
Do anti-dumping or other extra duties apply to 9018 50 90 00?
Additional duty of 35% on goods from Belarus and Russia. These are charged on top of the customs duty.
Where does the UK import these goods from?
For subheading 9018.50 as a whole, the largest supplier in 2024 was the United States (US$78m), followed by China.
Typical products
Everyday names, not part of the legal text.