Customs code · HS subheading 8538 90

Final code reached

Other parts solely or mainly for electrical apparatus of headings 8535–8537

Excluding composite electronic components, 8537 panels without built-in apparatus and wafer-tester parts

This is a complete 8-digit customs code. Exports and Intrastat use it as it is. For an import into the EU, pick a 10-digit line below.

This code covers parts used solely or mainly with electrical apparatus for switching, interrupting, protecting or connecting circuits, or with electrical control and distribution apparatus. It excludes composite electronic components, panels and similar items for control apparatus without their built-in apparatus, and parts for wafer testers.

See the official tariff text

Official tariff text

Parts suitable for use solely or principally with the apparatus of heading 8535, 8536 or 8537, n.e.s. (excl. electronic assemblies, and boards, panels, consoles, desks, cabinets and other bases for the goods of heading 8537, not equipped with their apparatus, and for wafer probers)

You are seeing what applies when you export from the EU. Switch above if you import.

You are seeing what applies when you import into the EU. Switch above if you export.

Your answer for export

The full EU export code is 8538 90 99.

You do not pick a 10-digit EU import line for an export declaration or Intrastat. The destination classifies the goods under its own tariff.

8 digits, ready

Selling to Norway, Great Britain and the United States

What they charge on arrival.

Norway, Great Britain and the United States use their own tariff lines under the 6-digit HS code. The rates below are what their customs charge on goods arriving from the EU. Match the goods against each country's own wording before you rely on a rate.

Norway

Duty free

Their lines1 Norwegian line

85.38.9000 Other

Norwegian tariff data checked Sept. 13, 2026.

Great Britain

Duty free

Their lines5 British lines

8538 90 99 10 For use in certain types of aircraft

Northern Ireland follows other rules.

UK tariff data checked Sept. 13, 2026.

United States

10.0%

Estimated from published US measures

Their lines8 US lines
Entry dateSept. 17, 2026

8538.90.10.00 Parts suitable for use solely or principally with the apparatus of heading 8535, 8536

The US importer of record files the entry.

US tariff data checked Sept. 16, 2026.

See the 1 Norwegian line

Selling to Norway

Norway splits the 6-digit category its own way, so these are Norway's own lines under it, not this EU code. Check your product against their wording; what Norwegian customs charges is shown per line.

85.38.9000

Other

Ordinary duty

Duty free

Norwegian tariff data version 1.5/1.2, last checked Sept. 13, 2026.

Contains data from Norwegian Customs (data.toll.no), licensed under CC BY 4.0, adapted for display.

See the 5 British lines

Selling to Great Britain

What UK customs charges when goods like these arrive in Great Britain.

All 5 UK lines under this code

They all have the same duty rates shown here.

Ordinary duty

Duty free

These rates apply in Great Britain. Different rules may apply for goods entering Northern Ireland.

UK tariff data version v4.0.1599, last checked Sept. 13, 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Source: UK Department for Business and Trade (data.api.trade.gov.uk).

See the 8 US lines

Selling to the United States

What US customs charges when goods like these arrive from the EU. The US importer of record files the entry and pays the duty.

8538.90.10.00

Parts suitable for use solely or principally with the apparatus of heading 8535, 8536 or 8537, Other, Printed circuit assemblies, Of an article of heading 8537 for one of the articles described in additional U.S. note 11 to chapter 85

General rate

Free

From the EU

10.0% Estimated from published US measures US headings applied: 9903.05.39 Section 301 forced-labour action, 91 FR 47318 (memorandum 91 FR 47717), U.S. note 52 to subchapter III of chapter 99
8538.90.30.00

Parts suitable for use solely or principally with the apparatus of heading 8535, 8536 or 8537, Other, Printed circuit assemblies, Other

General rate

3.5%

From the EU

10.0% Estimated from published US measures US headings applied: 9903.05.39 Section 301 forced-labour action, 91 FR 47318 (memorandum 91 FR 47717), U.S. note 52 to subchapter III of chapter 99
8538.90.40.00

Parts suitable for use solely or principally with the apparatus of heading 8535, 8536 or 8537, Other, Other, for the articles of subheading 8535.90.40, 8536.30.40 or 8536.50.40, of ceramic or metallic materials, electrically or mechanically reactive to changes in temperature

General rate

3.5%

From the EU

10.0% Estimated from published US measures US headings applied: 9903.05.39 Section 301 forced-labour action, 91 FR 47318 (memorandum 91 FR 47717), U.S. note 52 to subchapter III of chapter 99
8538.90.60.00

Parts suitable for use solely or principally with the apparatus of heading 8535, 8536 or 8537, Other, Molded parts

General rate

3.5%

From the EU

10.0% Estimated from published US measures US headings applied: 9903.05.39 Section 301 forced-labour action, 91 FR 47318 (memorandum 91 FR 47717), U.S. note 52 to subchapter III of chapter 99
8538.90.81.20

Parts suitable for use solely or principally with the apparatus of heading 8535, 8536 or 8537, Other, Of automatic circuit breakers

General rate

3.5%

From the EU

10.0% Estimated from published US measures US headings applied: 9903.05.39 Section 301 forced-labour action, 91 FR 47318 (memorandum 91 FR 47717), U.S. note 52 to subchapter III of chapter 99
8538.90.81.40

Parts suitable for use solely or principally with the apparatus of heading 8535, 8536 or 8537, Other, Metal contacts

General rate

3.5%

From the EU

10.0% Estimated from published US measures US headings applied: 9903.05.39 Section 301 forced-labour action, 91 FR 47318 (memorandum 91 FR 47717), U.S. note 52 to subchapter III of chapter 99
8538.90.81.60

Parts suitable for use solely or principally with the apparatus of heading 8535, 8536 or 8537, Other, Other parts of switchgear, switchboards, panel boards and distribution boards

General rate

3.5%

From the EU

10.0% Estimated from published US measures US headings applied: 9903.05.39 Section 301 forced-labour action, 91 FR 47318 (memorandum 91 FR 47717), U.S. note 52 to subchapter III of chapter 99
8538.90.81.80

Parts suitable for use solely or principally with the apparatus of heading 8535, 8536 or 8537, Other

General rate

3.5%

From the EU

10.0% Estimated from published US measures US headings applied: 9903.05.39 Section 301 forced-labour action, 91 FR 47318 (memorandum 91 FR 47717), U.S. note 52 to subchapter III of chapter 99

Worked out for an entry on Sept. 17, 2026.

US tariff schedule 2026HTSRev19, last checked Sept. 16, 2026.

Last change we recorded: Revision 19 (2026), Sept. 16, 2026.

Anti-dumping and countervailing duties, US import taxes and customs fees are not included.

The descriptions above are the US tariff texts, which the United States publishes in English only.

Source: the US International Trade Commission's Harmonized Tariff Schedule (hts.usitc.gov), public domain, and the measures published in the Federal Register.

This is a planning estimate from the US Harmonized Tariff Schedule (revision shown) and the published Federal Register measures as of the date shown, for a shipment of EU origin. It is not a customs entry, legal advice or a broker's opinion, and tariffs.help is not a US-licensed customs broker. The US importer of record or their broker confirms the classification, origin, value and the duty due before filing.

Before you use the code

Check the facts that sit outside the code

The code can be right while what you pay still changes, because of where the goods come from, when they arrive, or extra EU measures.

Classify your own product, free Look up the current rates and rules

The product and its form Check that your product really matches this description, including what it is made of and the form it arrives in.
Country of origin Trade agreements, sanctions and extra measures can change the treatment of the very same code.
Current tariff measures Check today's rate, any restrictions or licences, and the quantity customs asks for, with Toldstyrelsen or TARIC.

What to do now for an import

The code is settled. What is left is the import declaration around it.

Choose the 10-digit import line Find the EU wording that matches the goods, and read the whole line before you pick it. 5 options Go to this section
State the country of origin: it decides the rate, sanctions and documents The same code can be charged and treated differently depending on where the goods were made.
Check today's requirements in TARIC Rates, quotas and document requirements change. The EU's own database is the current source. Open the EU TARIC database

Check it before you file This is a suggestion, please verify it against your own product.

On an EU import declaration

Pick the 10-digit line that matches the goods.

5 import lines

When these goods are imported into the EU, the declaration needs a 10-digit code. Under 8538 90 99 the EU tariff has 5 lines, each with its own wording.

You or your customs agent pick the line whose wording fits the goods; the last line, "Other", covers what none of the specific wordings describe.

Some lines depend on what the goods will be used for and need customs authorisation; matching the wording alone does not give a lower rate.

Match the whole wording A line is its own wording plus the grouping text above it. Read both before you settle on one.
Check the intended use On some lines the lower rate belongs to what the goods will be used for, not to the goods alone.
Confirm the authorisation Where the lower rate carries conditions, customs asks for an authorisation before it can be used.

8538 90 99 10

For use in certain types of aircraft

1.7%

Duty suspension: 0% under an end-use authorisation

Conditions apply, customs authorisation needed.

This line in the EU tariff Rulings on this line
Other
8538 90 99 50

Interior antenna for a car door locking system, comprising: - an antenna module in a plastic housing, - whether or not a connection cable with a plug, - whether or not a connector, - at least one mounting bracket, - whether or not PCB including integrated circuits, diodes and transistors, for use in the manufacture of goods of Chapter 87

1.7%

Duty suspension: 0% under an end-use authorisation

Conditions apply, customs authorisation needed.

This line in the EU tariff Rulings on this line
8538 90 99 60

Front control panel, in the form of a plastic box, with light guides, rotary switches, pressure switches and buttons switches, or other type of switches, without any electrical component, of a kind used in the dashboard of motor vehicles of Chapter 87

1.7%

Duty suspension: 0%

This line in the EU tariff Rulings on this line
8538 90 99 70

Silicone or plastic keyboards, comprising: -parts of common metal, and -whether or not comprising parts of plastic, -epoxy resin reinforced with fiberglass or wood, -whether or not printed or surface-treated, -with or without electrical conductors, -with or without a membrane bonded to the keyboard, -with or without mono or multilayer protective film

1.7%

Duty suspension: 0%

This line in the EU tariff Rulings on this line
8538 90 99 99

Other

1.7%

Duty suspension: 0% for ships, boats and drilling platforms

Conditions apply, customs authorisation needed.

This line in the EU tariff Rulings on this line

A suspension is a lower rate the EU grants for specific products; whether your goods qualify depends on the line's wording and conditions.

Exports from the EU and Intrastat normally use the 8-digit code as it is.

EU tariff data of Sept. 13, 2026.

This is the catch-all under 8538 90: it covers what the sibling codes below do not.

This is the remainder for parts solely or mainly used with apparatus under headings 8535–8537 when they are not composite electronic components, wafer-tester parts, or panels and similar items for control apparatus without built-in apparatus.

Rates, origin and documents

Read the signals first. Open only the ones you want to check.

Besides the ordinary duty, the EU records these kinds of measure against this code. They are listed as signals only: whether one applies to your goods can depend on where they come from, who produced them, the exact product and the documents you present. No amounts are worked out here.

Data of Sept. 1, 2026

Lower duty for goods from some countries

Possible

Preferential rates exist for goods originating in:

Andorra
San Marino
Türkiye
European Union
Comoros (excluding Mayotte), Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and dependencies and Zimbabwe
Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique and Namibia
Western Sahara
European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway
+40 origins

These rates apply to Economic Partnership Agreements; CARIFORUM except Haiti; GSP-EBA (Special arrangement for the least-developed countries - Everything But Arms); GSP+ (incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance); OCTs (Overseas Countries and Territories); GSP - General arrangements except India.

Whether you can use one depends on the origin rules for the goods and on the documentation you can show.

Check this code in the official EU TARIC database

Restrictions and paperwork

Important

Import restrictions are recorded for goods originating in:

North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea)
Ukraine
Belarus
Russian Federation
any country except North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea)

The EU records document conditions on this code. What customs may ask for depends on where the goods come from, exactly what the product is and the customs procedure.

Proof of origin 2 conditions

If you claim a lower rate for goods from a country the EU has a trade agreement with, customs asks for proof of origin, for example a EUR.1 certificate or an origin declaration.

Show the EU's own wording for these conditions

Invoice declaration or origin declaration made out by any exporter on invoice or any other commercial document
Movement certificate EUR.1

Sanctions and restricted regions 15 conditions

Some conditions come from EU sanctions rules. They matter when the goods are linked to a country or region the EU restricts trade with.

Show the EU's own wording for these conditions

Goods not originating from or destined to Crimea or Sevastopol (Articles 2 and 2b.1 of Council Regulation (EU) No 692/2014)
Goods not originating from or not destined for the non-government controlled areas of Ukraine in the oblasts of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia
The prohibitions defined in article 1ra paragraph 1 of Council Regulation (EU) No 765/2006 do not apply (see exemptions in article 1ra paragraph 3)
Goods entered the territory of the customs union of the EU and presented to customs authorities prior to the entry into force or to applicability date of the present sanction, whichever is latest (see Article 8f of Regulation (EU) No 765/2006)
Import authorisation by virtue of article 1ra paragraph 10 of Council Regulation (EU) 765/2006
The prohibitions defined in article 1ra paragraph 1 of Council Regulation (EU) No 765/2006 do not apply (see exemptions in article 1ra paragraph 4)
The prohibitions defined in article 3i.1 of Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 do not apply (see exemptions in article 3i.3i)
The prohibitions defined in article 3i.1 of Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 do not apply (see exemptions in article 3i.3aa)
Import authorisation by virtue of article 3i paragraph 3c of Council Regulation (EU) 833/2014
Import authorisation by virtue of article 3i paragraph 3e of Council Regulation (EU) 833/2014
Goods entered the territory of the customs union of the EU and presented to customs authorities prior to the entry into force or to applicability date of the present sanction, whichever is latest (see Article 12e of Regulation (EU) No 833/2014)
Import authorisation by virtue of article 12b.2 of Council Regulation (EU) 833/2014
Goods not consigned from North Korea
Goods other than those described in Annex VI (Petroleum products) of Reg. (EU) 2017/1509
Goods other than those described in Annex VII (Copper, nickel, silver and zinc) of Reg. (EU) 2017/1509

Statements that the goods are outside a rule's scope 1 condition

Some conditions are statements that a rule does not cover the goods, for example that the product is not on a controlled list.

Show the EU's own wording for this condition

Goods other than those described in the footnotes linked to the measure

Check this code in the official EU TARIC database

EU tariff measure data of Sept. 1, 2026.

One last classification check

Check the path and the nearest alternatives.

Use this view if you are still unsure the code describes the product precisely.

How we got to this code

XVI
85
8538
8538 90
8538 90 99

Show the steps

The path to this code

Every level is settled. Open an earlier step if you need to change a choice.

Step 5 of 5 · Complete

Step 1 · Section XVI Machinery and mechanical appliances; electrical equ…
Is the product a machine, apparatus or mechanical tool, or is it electrical equipment, a sound recorder or player, or a television image and sound recorder or player?
✓
Step 2 · Chapter 85 Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereo… 2 of 2 chapters in section XVI
What is the product: an electrical motor, generator or converter; a transformer or electrical converter; a magnet; a primary cell or battery; an accumulator; a household appliance; a shaver or hair-removal appliance; equipment for an internal-combustion engine, vehicle or bicycle; a portable lamp; an industrial or laboratory heating appliance; soldering or welding equipment; another electrical heating appliance; a telephone or other data-communication device; sound equipment; video equipment or recording media; a display module; a radio, television, radar, navigation or remote-control device; electrical control, switching, lighting, semiconductor, circuit, cable or insulation equipment; another electrical machine or apparatus; or electrical and electronic waste or scrap?
✓
Step 3 · Heading 8538 Parts suitable for use solely or principally with t… 37 of 48 headings under chapter 85
Is it an empty board, plate, console, control desk, cabinet or similar housing for 8537 equipment, without the built-in apparatus?
✓
Step 4 · Subheading 8538 90 Parts suitable for use solely or principally with t… 2 of 2 subheadings under heading 8538
Is it a part for a wafer tester under heading 8536 90 20, an assembled electronic component for the specified equipment, or a panel, plate, console, desk, cabinet or similar item for control equipment without the built-in equipment; if none of these, it belongs here?
✓
Step 5 · Full code 8538 90 99 Parts suitable for use solely or principally with t… 4 of 4 codes under subheading 8538 90

Compare with the codes next to it.

Compare the sibling codes at this level before you settle on this one.

Classification decides the rate here: from duty free to 3.2%.

another option 8538 90 11 Electronic assemblies for wafer probers of subheading 8536.90.20 Duty free
another option 8538 90 19 Parts for wafer probers of subheading 8536.90.20, n.e.s. (excl. electronic assemblies) Duty free
another option 8538 90 91 Electronic assemblies for electrical apparatus for switching or protecting electrical circuits, or for making connections to or in electrical circuits of heading 8535 or 8536 and for control desks, cabinets and similar combinations of apparatus of heading 8537 (excl. for wafer probers) 3.2%
you are here 8538 90 99 Parts suitable for use solely or principally with the apparatus of heading 8535, 8536 or 8537, n.e.s. (excl. electronic assemblies, and boards, panels, consoles, desks, cabinets and other bases for the goods of heading 8537, not equipped with their apparatus, and for wafer probers) 1.7%

Worth comparing

Codes that sit close to this one, for when the material itself could be different.

Browse chapter 85

Mentioned by the legal text

Often confused with

8538 90 19 Parts for wafer probers of subheading 8536.90.20, n.e.s. (excl. electronic assemblies) Duty free
That code is for parts for wafer testers under heading 8536 90 20; this code excludes parts for wafer testers.
8538 90 91 Electronic assemblies for electrical apparatus for switching or protecting electrical circuits, or for making connections to or in electrical circuits of heading 8535 or 8536 and for control desks, cabinets and similar combinations of apparatus of heading 8537 (excl. for wafer probers) 3.2%
That code is for composite electronic components for specified apparatus under headings 8535 and 8536 and for specified control apparatus under heading 8537; this code excludes composite electronic components.

Duty rates shown here are estimates, read from official EU / Danish, Norwegian and UK tariff data for orientation only. Confirm the current rate with Toldstyrelsen, TARIC, Norwegian Customs or the UK Online Trade Tariff before you file. The rate you pay can also depend on the country of origin. These are base customs duties only: import VAT, excise duties, anti-dumping duties and safeguard or quota measures are not included.