HS Code for Chargers, Cables and Headphones (EU Guide)

Finding the HS code for chargers, cables and headphones looks simple until you meet the details: a charger can be an "accumulator charger" or a "rectifier", a USB cable can be "of a kind used for telecommunications" or not, and a wireless headset may not be a headphone in customs terms. These accessories also ship in huge volumes, so a small error repeats on every entry. This guide sets out the headings, the EU lines and the questions that decide between them.

It is written for importers, e-commerce sellers and customs brokers dealing with consumer electronics accessories. Codes and duty rates were checked against the EU Combined Nomenclature (CN) 2026 and the TARIC data in October 2026. The six-digit HS subheadings are shared with other markets; the 8- and 10-digit lines are EU-specific.

Quick reference

Duty is only part of the picture. Preferences, trade defence measures and import controls depend on origin and date, so check TARIC for your case before you declare. See EU import duty and TARIC measures.

The rules that apply to all three

Chargers, cables and headphones all sit in Chapter 85 (electrical machinery and equipment), within Section XVI. Two notes of that section matter often for accessories:

• Note 3 to Section XVI: composite machines and machines designed to perform two or more complementary or alternative functions are classified as if they consisted only of the component or machine that performs the principal function.
• Note 4 to Section XVI: where separate components contribute together to a clearly defined function covered by a heading of Chapter 84 or 85, the whole is classified in the heading for that function.

Sets put up for retail sale, such as a charger packed with a cable, follow the General Rules of Interpretation, in particular rule 3(b) on essential character.

Chargers and power adapters: heading 8504

Heading 8504 covers "electrical transformers, static converters (for example, rectifiers) and inductors". A plug-in charger for a phone, tablet or laptop converts mains alternating current into low-voltage direct current, which is the work of a static converter. The HS subheading is 8504 40.

The CN 2026 splits 8504 40 into:

• 8504 40 60 accumulator chargers;
• 8504 40 83 rectifiers;
• 8504 40 84 and 8504 40 87 inverters;
• 8504 40 95 other.

All of these are free of conventional duty in the CN 2026, and the TARIC data we checked shows 0% third-country duty on the lines. TARIC also has subdivisions "for use in civil aircraft" on several of them; for ordinary consumer goods, the "other" line applies.

The CN line still matters, for statistics and for any measure that targets one line. The question to answer is how the device works: does it control the charging of a battery, or does it simply supply a fixed direct current to a device that contains its own charging circuit? Get the technical documentation, search the EBTI database for decisions on comparable adapters, and record the reasoning.

Non-tariff point: under Directive (EU) 2022/2380, which amended the Radio Equipment Directive, many categories of radio equipment must accept a common charging interface. Member states apply the rules from 28 December 2024 for most listed categories and from 28 April 2026 for laptops. This does not change the tariff code, but it affects what can be sold.

Cables: heading 8544

Heading 8544 covers insulated wire, cable and other insulated electric conductors, whether or not fitted with connectors, and optical fibre cables. A USB, HDMI or charging cable with plugs, for a voltage not exceeding 1,000 V, falls under HS subheading 8544 42: other electric conductors, for a voltage not exceeding 1,000 V, fitted with connectors.

The CN 2026 splits it into:

This is the split to get right. Decide it from the cable's design and documentation, read the CN explanatory notes for heading 8544, and check EBTI decisions on comparable cables. TARIC adds further subdivisions under 8544 42 90 for specific technical cables, such as certain display data cables and wire harnesses, each defined by detailed parameters. Read them before defaulting to "other".

Cables without connectors go to other subheadings of 8544, and optical fibre cables made up of individually sheathed fibres go to 8544 70.

Headphones and earphones: heading 8518

Heading 8518 covers microphones, loudspeakers, headphones and earphones, amplifiers and related sets. The HS subheading 8518 30 reads: headphones and earphones, whether or not combined with a microphone, and sets consisting of a microphone and one or more loudspeakers.

In the EU this is CN 8518 30 00, free of conventional duty in the CN 2026. TARIC splits it into 8518 30 00 10, for use in civil aircraft, and 8518 30 00 90, other. Wired earphones with an inline microphone, gaming headsets and over-ear headphones normally sit here. Our guide to finding a TARIC code uses wired earphones as its worked example.

The wireless question

Bluetooth earbuds and headsets contain radio transmission and reception, and some handle calls. That raises the question whether they belong in heading 8517, which covers apparatus for the transmission or reception of voice, images or other data (subheading 8517 62 in the CN, also free of conventional duty), or in 8518 as headphones. Apply Section XVI note 3 and ask which function is principal. EU classification regulations show how the Commission reasons about Bluetooth audio devices: Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/2224, for example, classified a Bluetooth "wireless speaker adapter", which receives audio wirelessly and passes it by cable to loudspeakers without producing sound itself, under CN 8517 62 00. That device is not a headset, so it does not settle the question for earbuds, but it shows the kind of functional analysis customs expects. Because customs practice on these devices has developed over time, check current EBTI decisions, any EU classification regulation and the WCO's classification opinions before you declare, and keep the analysis on file.

Power banks: heading 8507

A power bank stores energy in rechargeable cells and releases it through a USB port. Lithium-ion accumulators are classified in heading 8507, and the CN 2026 line 8507 60 00 (lithium-ion) shows a conventional duty of 2.7%. Some power banks add functions such as wireless charging pads or lamps; apply the principal function rule and check EU decisions on comparable products.

A checklist before you declare

• Do you have the technical data: input and output voltage and current, the role of any charging circuit, connector types?
• For cables: is it designed for telecommunications or data transmission, or for power only? Does a TARIC subdivision with technical parameters match it?
• For headsets: wired or wireless, call functions or not, any storage?
• Are items sold as a retail set, and if so, which item gives the essential character?
• Have you checked TARIC for your origin, including any trade defence measure or import control?
• Have you recorded the reasoning, the CN version and the date? See the tariff classification audit trail.

Where HTS Pilot fits

Accessories are a good fit for batch lookups. HTS Pilot accepts an Excel or CSV file of product descriptions and proposes a 10-digit EU or US code for each row, with alternatives, reasons, official sources and a confidence score. When the description lacks a deciding fact, such as the use of a cable, it asks a follow-up question; close calls between candidate codes go to a review queue. Results are suggestions for reference, not official classification decisions. See how a lookup works.

Key takeaways

• Chargers and power adapters are static converters of HS 8504 40; all the EU CN 2026 lines under it are free of conventional duty.
• USB and data cables with connectors up to 1,000 V are HS 8544 42; in the EU, the telecommunications line is free and "other" is 3.3%.
• Wired headphones and earphones are HS 8518 30 (CN 8518 30 00, free); wireless headsets with call functions need a principal-function analysis.
• Lithium-ion power banks are generally considered under heading 8507 (CN 8507 60 00, 2.7%), subject to their features.
• Use technical data, EBTI decisions and TARIC for your origin, and record the reasoning.

Frequently asked questions

What is the HS code for a phone charger?

Plug-in chargers and power adapters are static converters, classified in HS subheading 8504.40. In the EU Combined Nomenclature 2026, that subheading splits into accumulator chargers, rectifiers, inverters and other static converters, all shown with a conventional duty of free. Which CN line fits depends on how the device works, so check the technical data and EU decisions on similar devices.

What is the HS code for a USB cable?

A USB cable with connectors, for a voltage not exceeding 1,000 V, falls under HS subheading 8544.42. In the EU, the CN 2026 splits it into 8544 42 10, of a kind used for telecommunications, which is free, and 8544 42 90, other, at 3.3%. The choice depends on the cable's intended use and design, so document the reasoning.

What is the HS code for headphones and earbuds?

Headphones and earphones, whether or not combined with a microphone, fall under HS subheading 8518.30. In the EU this is CN 8518 30 00, with a conventional duty of free in the CN 2026; TARIC separates a line for use in civil aircraft. Wireless headsets with call functions can raise a question with heading 8517, so check current EU decisions.

What is the HS code for a power bank?

A power bank is essentially a rechargeable battery in a housing, often with charging circuitry. Lithium-ion accumulators fall under heading 8507, and the CN 2026 line 8507 60 00 shows a conventional duty of 2.7%. Whether a given power bank stays in 8507 or goes elsewhere depends on its features, so check EU decisions on comparable devices before declaring.

Sources

The official texts and pages this article relies on. Check them for the current version before you act.

1. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1926, Combined Nomenclature 2026, Chapter 85 and Section XVI notes (EUR-Lex) eur-lex.europa.eu
2. European Commission: TARIC consultation ec.europa.eu
3. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/2224 concerning the classification of certain goods in the CN (EUR-Lex) eur-lex.europa.eu
4. European Commission: EBTI consultation ec.europa.eu
5. Directive (EU) 2022/2380 amending the Radio Equipment Directive (common charger) (EUR-Lex) eur-lex.europa.eu
6. World Customs Organization: What is the Harmonized System? wcoomd.org

This article is general information, not legal advice and not a classification decision. Tariff texts, rates and rulings change: check the current official sources, and ask the customs authority for a binding ruling where the answer matters.