Heading 8512

Electrical lighting or signaling equipment (excluding articles of heading 8539), windshield wipers, defrosters and demisters, of a kind used for cycles or motor vehicles; parts thereof

16 declarable lines

Heading 8512 covers electrical lighting and signaling equipment for bicycles and motor vehicles, along with windshield wipers, defrosters, demisters, and their parts. It does not cover lamps and light sources themselves, which fall in heading 8539. The heading splits first by function: bicycle lighting and visual signaling, other lighting and visual signaling, sound signaling, wipers and defrosters, then parts.

Products in this heading

Bicycle headlamps and taillights
Car and truck headlight assemblies
Turn signal and brake light units for motor vehicles
Electric horns for cars and trucks
Radar detectors used in motor vehicles
Windshield wiper assemblies
Rear window defroster and demister units
Lenses and housings for vehicle lighting equipment

How to choose the right subheading

Whether the article is for a bicycle or for another vehicle, since bicycle equipment has its own subheadings.
Whether the item provides lighting, visual signaling, or sound signaling.
Whether the item is a complete unit or a part, since parts fall in 8512.90.
For parts, the equipment the part serves: signaling equipment, lighting equipment, or defrosters and demisters.
For lighting parts, whether the part is of a kind used on bicycles or other vehicles.

Often confused with

LED lamps and sealed beam lamp units sold as light sources
Heading 8512 covers lighting equipment for vehicles, not the lamps and light sources themselves.
Heading 8539
Portable battery-powered flashlights
Portable lamps functioning by their own energy source are excluded from 8512.
Heading 8513
Road, railway or parking facility signal equipment
Fixed traffic and safety signaling installations go to 8530, not vehicle equipment.
Heading 8530
Building burglar or fire alarm bells and sirens
Sound signaling apparatus other than vehicle equipment of 8512 is classified in 8531.
Heading 8531
Vehicle starter batteries
Electric storage batteries are classified in 8507 regardless of vehicle use.
Heading 8507

Frequently asked questions

What is the HTS code for bicycle lighting equipment?

Lighting equipment of a kind used on bicycles is classified under 8512.10.20.00, with a general (MFN) rate of Free.

What is the duty on electric horns for motor vehicles?

Horns are classified under 8512.30.00.20, with a general (MFN) rate of 2.5%.

How do I classify a windshield wiper assembly and its parts?

A complete windshield wiper is classified under 8512.40.40.00, with a general (MFN) rate of 2.5%. Parts of wipers that are not lighting or signaling parts fall under 8512.90.90.00, also at a general (MFN) rate of 2.5%.

Guide written from the official schedule text. Rates quoted are general (MFN) rates; check the line page for trade agreement rates and the classification of your exact product.