HS Code Detail
853180 Chapter 85 · Electronics Headphones, earphones, speakers
Six-digit Harmonized System subheading. Used by 200+ customs authorities worldwide as the universal starting point for tariff classification.
Anatomy of 853180
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 853180
- Headphones, earphones, earbuds, and audio speakers / electric sound signalling apparatus not specified elsewhere
What's specifically excluded
These look similar but belong under a different code:
Commonly confused with
851830 — Headsets with microphone
A headphone WITH a built-in mic (a headset) is 851830 under heading 8518, not 853180. Most true-wireless earbuds include mics — so they often classify under 8518, not 8531. This is a very common error.
851829 — Loudspeakers
Stand-alone speakers belong in 8518 (loudspeakers), not the sound-signalling subheading.
Classification & cost note
This is one of the trickiest consumer-electronics classifications because nearly all modern earbuds and headphones include a microphone, which pushes them out of 853180 and into 8518 (microphones/headphones/loudspeakers and combinations). Before relying on 853180, confirm the device has no mic — otherwise the correct heading is 8518, and the duty treatment can differ.
Typical products: Wired and wireless earbuds (check for mic!) · Over-ear headphones · Portable Bluetooth speakers
Find the exact duty for 853180
Run this code through the duty calculator with your destination and shipment value, or check the destination's official tariff schedule for the binding MFN rate.
Questions about 853180
Are wireless earbuds classified under 853180?
Often not. Most earbuds include a microphone, which classifies them under heading 8518 (e.g. 851830 for headphone-microphone combinations) rather than 853180. Mic presence is the deciding factor.
What's the difference between 853180 and 8518?
8518 covers microphones, loudspeakers, headphones and combinations of them; 853180 covers sound-signalling apparatus and plain audio output without a mic. The microphone is the practical dividing line for earphones.
Related codes in Chapter 85
Calculate duty for HS 853180
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