HS Code Detail
851712 Chapter 85 · Electronics Smartphones and mobile phones
Six-digit Harmonized System subheading. Used by 200+ customs authorities worldwide as the universal starting point for tariff classification.
Anatomy of 851712
For a real customs declaration you'll extend this 6-digit code to the destination's full local format: 10 digits for US HTS / UK Trade Tariff, 8 digits for the EU Combined Nomenclature. The first six digits stay the same — only the trailing detail differs.
What this code covers
What falls under 851712
- Smartphones and feature phones designed to connect to cellular networks
- Satellite phones and other handsets for wireless networks
What's specifically excluded
These look similar but belong under a different code:
Commonly confused with
851713 — Smartphones (HS 2022 dedicated code)
Under the HS 2022 revision the WCO split out a dedicated smartphone subheading (851713). Many legacy datasets — and customs declarations filed before 2022 — still route smartphones through 851712. Always confirm which nomenclature edition your destination is using before you file.
847130 — Portable computers / tablets
Tablets without cellular calling are computers (8471), not phones. A cellular-enabled tablet is a borderline case decided by its principal function.
Classification & cost note
Smartphones benefit from the WTO Information Technology Agreement (ITA), so the MFN duty is 0% across the EU, UK, US, Japan, Canada and Australia. The cost that actually bites is import VAT/GST on the full landed value, plus — for China-origin goods entering the US — Section 301 surcharges that sit on top of the MFN rate and are not reflected in headline duty tables.
Typical products: iPhone and Android handsets · Rugged industrial smartphones · Basic GSM feature phones
Import duty by country
MFN duty rate · 8 countries| Country | Duty | VAT |
|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇺Australia | 0% | 10% |
| 🇧🇷Brazil | 16% | 0% |
| 🇨🇦Canada | 0% | 5% |
| 🇩🇪Germany | 0% | 19% |
| 🇮🇳India | 20% | 18% |
| 🇵🇹Portugal | 0% | 23% |
| 🇬🇧United Kingdom | 0% | 20% |
| 🇺🇸United States | 0% | 0% |
Rates shown are MFN (Most Favoured Nation) — the default for WTO members. Preferential FTA rates may be lower with valid proof of origin. Section 301 / anti-dumping surcharges on Chinese-origin goods are not included.
Questions about 851712
Is there import duty on smartphones?
In ITA-signatory markets (EU, UK, US, Japan, Canada, Australia) the MFN duty rate is 0%. You still pay import VAT/GST on the landed value, and US imports of Chinese-origin phones can attract additional Section 301 tariffs.
851712 or 851713 for a smartphone?
Post-2022, 851713 is the WCO's dedicated smartphone subheading. If your destination has adopted HS 2022 (most have), use 851713; older systems still accept 851712. The duty treatment is effectively identical under the ITA.
Related codes in Chapter 85
Calculate duty for HS 851712
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