The HS code for routers, switches, and most network equipment is heading 8517, apparatus for transmitting or receiving voice, images, or data over a network. The classification is usually the easy part. The real constraint is that much of this equipment must clear type approval from the destination country’s telecom regulator before it can be sold or connected, a gate that has nothing to do with the HS code or the duty. This guide gives the exact subheadings, the duty position, and that constraint.
Routers, switches, base stations, and modems classify under Harmonized System heading 8517, apparatus for transmission or reception over a network. Switches and routers fall under 8517.62, and parts under 8517.79. The base duty is typically zero in Information Technology Agreement markets, but most radio and network equipment also needs type approval from the destination telecom regulator, which is a separate requirement from classification and duty.
What is HS 8517? Heading 8517 covers telephone sets and other apparatus for the transmission or reception of voice, images, or data over a wired or wireless network, including routers, switches, base stations, and modems.
What is HS 8517.62? Subheading 8517.62 covers machines for the reception, conversion, and transmission of voice, images, or data, the line where most switches, routers, and base stations classify.
The 8517 Subheadings That Matter
Classification within 8517 depends on three things:
- Form: what the device physically is.
- Function: what it does, transmitting or receiving over a network.
- Shipment presentation: how it arrives at the border.
These are the lines that matter in practice for network equipment.
| Subheading | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| 8517.62 | Switches, routers, base stations, modems: reception, conversion, and transmission apparatus |
| 8517.69 | Other apparatus for transmission or reception not covered above |
| 8517.71 | Aerials and antennas |
| 8517.79 | Parts of the apparatus in heading 8517 |
The precise national line matters too: the US extends these to ten-digit HTSUS codes and the EU to eight-digit CN codes. You can look up your product with our free HS Code Finder, and confirm any US line against the official US Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
HS Code for Routers: What Duty Does 8517 Pay?
At the base rate, usually nothing. Heading 8517 is covered by the WTO Information Technology Agreement, so most participating markets, including the US, EU, and UK, apply a zero percent duty to correctly classified network equipment, with positive rates, typically low single digits, in markets outside the agreement. As with all IT hardware, the base rate is only the start: import VAT applies on the landed value in the EU, UK, and many markets, and origin-based measures can stack for goods of certain origins.
For network equipment, though, duty is rarely what stops a shipment. The constraint that catches importers is regulatory, covered next, and the full landed cost including tax and fees is set out in our landed cost guide.
The Real Constraint: Type Approval, Not Duty
Classification and type approval are separate systems. The HS code sets the duty; type approval decides whether the equipment can legally be sold or connected in the destination country. A router can be duty-free and still blocked at the border for want of a certificate.
Most equipment that transmits or receives over a radio frequency, and much wired network gear, must be approved by the destination country’s telecom or spectrum regulator before import or sale. In the US, for instance, the FCC requires equipment authorisation for radio frequency devices before they can be imported or marketed. The requirement goes by different names in different markets, but the principle is the same: the device is tested and certified against national standards, and without that certificate the shipment can be held or refused regardless of a clean HS code and a zero duty rate. Some markets add further friction, requiring the certificate to be held by a locally registered entity, which an importer without a local presence cannot satisfy alone.
This is why network equipment imports reward planning the regulatory path before the goods ship, not at the border. The type-approval dimension, and the local-entity requirements that come with it, are set out in our guide to the importer of record for telecom equipment.
Importing routers, switches, or base stations into a new market? Carra Globe classifies, navigates type approval, and clears as your importer of record across more than 175 countries.
The Boundary: 8517 vs 8471
One boundary causes most of the classification errors in data centre shipments: the line between networking and computing. Heading 8517 is for apparatus whose function is to transmit or receive over a network, switches, routers, and base stations. Heading 8471 is for automatic data processing machines, servers and their units. A network switch is 8517; a server is 8471. Mixing them into a single entry under the wrong heading invites a hold and a reclassification, and in 2026 it matters more than ever because the two headings carry different tariff exposures. In short, function dictates the heading: moving data is 8517, processing data is 8471. We cover the computing side in our guide to the HS code for servers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the HS code for a router?
Heading 8517, specifically 8517.62, which covers reception, conversion, and transmission apparatus. Switches, base stations, and modems classify under the same subheading.
The code is usually straightforward; the harder requirement is type approval from the destination regulator.
Is HS code 8517 duty-free?
Usually, yes, at the base rate under the WTO Information Technology Agreement in participating markets. Import VAT and origin-based measures can still apply on top.
For network equipment, the cost risk is rarely the duty. It is a delay from missing type approval.
Do routers and switches need type approval to import?
In most countries, yes. Radio and network equipment must be certified by the destination telecom regulator before it can be sold or connected, separately from customs clearance and duty.
Some markets also require the certificate to be held by a locally registered entity, which an importer without a local presence cannot meet alone.
What is the difference between HS 8517 and 8471?
8517 covers network equipment for transmitting or receiving data: routers, switches, base stations. 8471 covers automatic data processing machines: servers and their units. Function decides the heading.
Mixing networking gear into a server entry under 8471 is one of the most common data centre classification errors.
The HS code for routers and switches is heading 8517, with 8517.62 as the core line. But for network equipment the code is the easy part: the constraint that decides whether the shipment lands is type approval from the destination regulator. Get the classification and the regulatory path right together, and the equipment clears. Carra Globe handles both as importer of record for network and telecom hardware worldwide.
Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, customs, or trade advice. Classification is fact-specific, and duty rates, type-approval rules, and import requirements vary by country, device, and date, and change frequently. Always verify the current position with the relevant customs authority, telecom regulator, or qualified counsel before importing.