The HS code for solar panels is heading 8541, and the inverters that pair with them sit under 8504. The classification is usually simple. What makes solar hard to cost is that the base duty is often zero, yet solar cells and modules are among the most heavily trade-taxed goods anywhere, carrying anti-dumping, countervailing, and origin tariffs that can multiply the landed cost several times over depending solely on where they were made. This guide gives the subheadings for panels and inverters, the duty position, and the trade tariffs that decide what you actually pay.
Solar cells and modules classify under Harmonized System heading 8541, with modern photovoltaic modules under 8541.43, and solar inverters classify under heading 8504, specifically 8504.40. The base MFN duty is often zero in major markets, but solar is subject to some of the heaviest trade-defence tariffs anywhere, so origin, not the base rate, usually decides the landed cost.
What is HS 8541? Heading 8541 covers semiconductor devices, including diodes, transistors, and photosensitive semiconductor devices, which is where photovoltaic solar cells and modules classify.
What is HS 8504.40? Subheading 8504.40 covers static converters, the category that includes solar inverters, which convert the direct current from panels into the alternating current the grid uses.
The Subheadings That Matter for Solar and Inverters
Solar projects import two distinct product families under two different headings. Classification depends on form, function, and shipment presentation. These are the lines that matter in practice.
| Subheading | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| 8541.43 | Photovoltaic cells assembled into modules or made up into panels: modern solar modules |
| 8541.42 | Photovoltaic cells not assembled into modules: bare solar cells |
| 8504.40 | Static converters: solar inverters, including string and central inverters |
| 8504.90 | Parts of the apparatus in heading 8504 |
| 8501.xx | Related note: electric generators and motors sit in 8501, not with inverters |
Note that solar classification changed in recent years: many markets moved photovoltaic modules to 8541.43 and cells to 8541.42, so older references citing 8541.40 may be out of date. Mounting frames and structures imported separately classify elsewhere again, typically as aluminium or steel structures. 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 Solar Panels: What Duty Do 8541 and 8504 Pay?
At the base rate, often little or nothing. In many major markets, including the US, EU, and UK, the base MFN duty on solar modules under 8541 and on inverters under 8504.40 is zero or low. But the base rate is almost never the number that matters for solar.
Solar cells and modules attract some of the heaviest trade-defence measures of any product category, and those measures, not the base duty, drive the landed cost. Import VAT applies on the landed value in the EU, UK, and many markets, and on top of that sit anti-dumping duties, countervailing duties, and origin tariffs, covered next. Inverters under 8504.40 generally face a lighter tariff burden than the panels themselves, but can still carry origin-based measures. Building the full picture before you commit is what our landed cost guide is for.
The Real Cost Driver: Trade-Defence Tariffs on Solar
Base duty and trade-defence tariffs are separate systems. The base MFN rate can be zero while anti-dumping, countervailing, and safeguard measures add many times that in duty. For solar, the origin of the cells is the single biggest cost variable there is.
The clearest example is the United States in 2026. Following a US Department of Commerce investigation, final anti-dumping and countervailing duties were imposed in 2025 on crystalline solar cells and modules from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, after Commerce found the goods were being dumped and subsidised, including through transnational subsidies from China. These duties can be extremely large, in some producer-specific cases reaching several hundred percent, and they stack on top of other measures. Chinese-origin cells and wafers separately face Section 301 tariffs, and a Section 201 safeguard tariff on crystalline silicon cells and modules applied for years before it expired on 6 February 2026. The combined effect is that solar from certain origins can carry a total duty burden that dwarfs the zero base rate.
The practical consequences for anyone importing solar are direct:
- Origin is the cost. The same module can be near duty-free or carry punitive duties depending only on where the cells were made and processed.
- Transshipment does not work. Routing goods through a third country without genuine manufacturing there does not escape the duties, and customs authorities actively investigate circumvention.
- Rates change mid-year. Trade-defence duties are reviewed and can change on short notice, so the position must be confirmed at the time of import.
- Classification still matters. The wrong subheading can misstate the duty and trigger a reclassification, and the scope of these measures is defined by specific codes.
This is why solar imports reward getting the classification, the origin position, and the duty exposure confirmed together, before a supply contract is signed. We handle exactly this for renewable projects as your importer of record, set out on our importer of record for renewable energy equipment page.
Importing solar modules or inverters? Carra Globe classifies, confirms the trade-defence exposure by origin, and clears as your importer of record across more than 175 countries.
The Boundary: Panels, Inverters, and Batteries
A solar-plus-storage project imports three product families that classify under three different headings, and getting them right is essential because each carries a different duty and tariff position. Solar modules are 8541, inverters are 8504.40, and the battery storage that increasingly ships alongside them is 8507, lithium-ion under 8507.60, which brings its own dangerous goods requirements. In summary, a solar-plus-storage project spans three distinct headings: the photovoltaic modules are 8541.43, the power-converting inverters are 8504.40, and the lithium-ion storage batteries are 8507.60. We cover the storage side in our guide to the HS code for lithium batteries.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the HS code for solar panels?
Heading 8541, with modern photovoltaic modules under 8541.43 and bare cells under 8541.42. Many markets moved solar from the older 8541.40 to these subheadings, so older references may be out of date.
Confirm the current national subheading, because the scope of solar trade tariffs is defined by specific codes.
What is the HS code for a solar inverter?
Heading 8504, specifically 8504.40, which covers static converters. This includes string inverters, central inverters, and other power conversion equipment used in solar systems.
Inverters generally carry a lighter tariff burden than panels, but origin-based measures can still apply.
Are solar panels duty-free to import?
At the base MFN rate, often yes in major markets. But solar carries heavy anti-dumping, countervailing, and safeguard tariffs in some markets, so the real duty depends on the origin of the cells.
A zero base rate can sit under a very large trade-defence duty, so budget the landed cost by origin, not the headline rate.
Why does the origin of solar panels matter so much?
Because trade-defence tariffs are origin-specific. Solar cells from certain countries face large anti-dumping and countervailing duties, while the same module made elsewhere may not, and transshipment does not avoid them.
This makes confirming the true country of origin, and the manufacturing behind it, a core part of costing a solar import.
The HS code for solar panels is heading 8541, and inverters are 8504.40. But the code is the easy part: for solar, the trade-defence tariffs tied to origin decide the real cost, and they can dwarf a zero base rate. Confirm the classification, the origin, and the duty exposure together before you sign a supply contract, and the project stays on budget. Carra Globe manages all three as importer of record for solar and renewable energy equipment worldwide.
Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, customs, or trade advice. Classification, duty rates, and trade-defence measures for solar equipment vary by country, origin, product, and date, and change frequently, sometimes mid-year. Always verify the current position with the relevant customs authority, a licensed customs broker, or qualified counsel before importing or signing a supply contract.