Abstract. “What is the HS code for a battery charger?” has a short answer and a long one. The short answer is heading 8504.40 — static converters. The long answer is that the six-digit heading is the only part that is harmonised internationally, and everything below it is decided nationally, by what ships with the unit and by where it was made.
Battery chargers are classified as static converters under heading 8504.40, within chapter 85 heading 8504: electrical transformers, static converters (for example, rectifiers) and inductors.
Two things do not change that:
What does move the answer is set out further down: the national subheading, whether a battery is included, and the origin of the goods.
The Harmonized System is harmonised to six digits. Every country applies the same 8504.40. From digit seven onward, each administration sets its own statistical lines, so the same charger carries a different full code in the United States, the EU, the UK and elsewhere — and the duty rate attaches to the national line, not to the heading.
This is why a supplier quoting “HS code 8504.40” is not wrong, but is also not enough to clear a shipment.
In the US HTS, chargers have been classified in the 8504.40.95 statistical lines. The lines below are the ones that actually appear in published Customs rulings, which is a more useful guide than a generic code list:
| HTS line | What it covered | Ruling |
|---|---|---|
| 8504.40.9550 | A battery charger for bicycle lighting equipment; also a battery-and-charger set | C80376; N340642 |
| 8504.40.9550 | Batteries and battery chargers imported together | G87863 |
| 8504.40.9510 | A charger, model CC2418 | NY N220471 |
| 8504.40.9580 | A solar-powered charging pole | — |
| 8504.40.8500 | A cell phone charger (static converters for telecommunication apparatus) | NY N205840 |
Two practical points from the same rulings:
Look up the current line on the USITC HTS search at hts.usitc.gov, and search past decisions in CBP’s CROSS database at rulings.cbp.gov. A binding ruling for your own product can be requested from CBP.
In the EU the charger falls under TARIC subheadings within 8504 40 — the 8504 40 8x and 8504 40 9x series — and which one applies depends on the unit’s characteristics and on the member state’s own statistical lines. The EU publishes the authoritative version in the TARIC consultation tool at ec.europa.eu. The UK maintains its own tariff after Brexit, so a UK clearance does not follow an EU code.
Both administrations issue binding tariff information on request — BTI in the EU, an advance tariff ruling in the UK. If you import chargers repeatedly, that is worth the lead time, because it removes the argument at the border.
We deliberately do not print a single EU eight-digit code here. Any page that does is either quoting one member state or quoting a code that has since been restructured — the tariff is the source of record, and it changes.
Most classification disputes with chargers are not about the charger at all:
| Product | Usually classified as | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Charger on its own | 8504.40 | Straightforward static converter |
| Power bank / portable battery pack | 8507.60 — lithium-ion accumulators | Classifying a power bank under a charger code is the single most common costly error; the duty rates differ |
| Battery and charger sold as one set | Decided by essential character (GRI 3(b)) | Ruling N340642 classified a battery-and-charger set under the charger subheading — but this is decided case by case |
| Cable or connector sold separately | 8544 / 8536 | Accessories are not part of the charger classification |
The power bank row is worth pausing on: CBP has ruled both ways on power banks depending on whether the conversion function or the accumulator dominates. That is a ruling question, not a lookup question.
Whether you ask a supplier, a broker or a customs administration, the same description is required. Prepare it once:
An accurate, specific product description is also the thing that gets a shipment released fastest. It is worth writing it once, correctly, and reusing it.
No. Both are static converters under 8504.40. The chemistry affects the charger’s design and its output voltage, not its classification.
The heading is the same, 8504.40. The national subheading can differ: in the US, static converters for telecommunication apparatus sit in a separate statistical line (8504.40.8500 appeared in a cell phone charger ruling) from the general 8504.40.95x lines used for battery chargers. That is a national distinction, not a change of heading.
If you import the same charger repeatedly, yes — it is the cheapest way to remove the risk of a reclassification and an assessment afterwards. For a one-off shipment, an accurate description plus your broker’s advice is usually enough.
If you need the technical description for a customs entry — output voltage, current, chemistry, protection functions and whether the unit ships with a battery — send us the model and we will provide it in the form your broker needs.
YZPOWER has manufactured battery chargers in Shenzhen since 2011, covering single-cell 3.65 V up to 72 V packs across lithium-ion, LiFePO4 and lead-acid. Ask us for a product description, or see the product range.
This page is a general explanation of how battery chargers are classified, written from published customs rulings and the official tariff lookup tools. It is not customs advice and it is not a ruling. Classification is decided on the facts of each product and each entry — confirm the code and the current duty with your customs broker or the relevant authority before you declare.