Chapter 85 covers electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles. This chapter is one of the most technology-intensive chapters in the HS classification, covering a wide range of goods from household appliances to industrial electronic equipment. The headings within the chapter are divided by function and application area, such as 8501 electric motors, 8504 transformers, 8516 electrothermic appliances, etc. Goods in this chapter generally operate on electrical or electronic principles, but care must be taken to distinguish them from mechanical appliances of Chapter 84, the key being whether the primary function depends on electrical energy. Heading 8516 covers electric instantaneous or storage water heaters and immersion heaters; electric space heating apparatus and soil heating apparatus; electrothermic hairdressing apparatus and hand dryers; electric smoothing irons; other household electrothermic appliances; and electric heating resistors. This heading primarily targets household or similar appliances that use electrical energy to generate heat for operation, but certain specific electrothermic equipment must be excluded (e.g., industrial furnaces are classified under 8514). Goods under 8516 typically have heating elements as their core functional component. The first 2 digits 85 represent Chapter 85 (electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles). Digits 3-4, 16, represent heading 8516, specifically electric instantaneous or storage water heaters and immersion heaters; electric space heating apparatus and soil heating apparatus; electrothermic hairdressing apparatus and hand dryers; electric smoothing irons; other household electrothermic appliances; and electric heating resistors. Digits 5-6, 50, represent subheading 851650, i.e., microwave ovens. This subheading is further subdivided into 85165000, but HS codes typically only go to 6 digits, and individual countries may subdivide further. Microwave ovens use microwaves to heat food and are household electrothermic appliances. Microwave ovens are classified under 851650 because their core function is to use microwave radiation to cause water molecules in food to vibrate and generate heat, making them electrothermic appliances. Although microwave ovens contain electronic components such as magnetrons, their primary function is heating, which conforms to the description of heading 8516. They are not classified under 8514 (industrial or laboratory furnaces) because they are mainly for household use; not under 8525 (television cameras, etc.) because they do not involve image transmission; and not under 8543 (other electrical equipment) because a specific heading already exists.

Product Name: The Chinese and foreign language names of the declared goods, which should accurately reflect the product attributes, such as "microwave oven" or "microwave oven (household)". Brand: Fill in the product brand, such as "Midea", "Galanz", "Panasonic", etc. If there is no brand, fill in "no brand". Model: Fill in the product model, such as "Midea M1-L213B", which should be consistent with other declaration information. Power: Fill in the rated power of the microwave oven, such as "1000W", usually referring to microwave output power. Capacity: Fill in the internal cavity volume of the microwave oven, such as "20L", in liters. Control Method: Fill in the control method, such as "mechanical", "electronic", or "computer-controlled". Purpose: Fill in the purpose, such as "household" or "commercial", which must be consistent with the classification. Customs declaration example: Product Name: Microwave Oven Brand: Midea Model: M1-L213B Power: 700W Capacity: 20L Control Method: Mechanical Purpose: Household Remarks: This product is a household microwave oven that uses microwaves to heat food, conforming to HS code 85165000. Failing to distinguish household from commercial use; commercial microwave ovens may be classified under other codes. Incorrect power filling, such as mistaking input power for output power. False declaration of brand and model, leading to customs questioning.

Core classification determination basis: Microwave ovens are classified under 851650 mainly based on their function—using microwave radiation to heat food, making them electrothermic appliances. According to HS notes, 8516 includes household electrothermic appliances. Although microwave ovens involve electronic technology, their primary function is heating, and they are usually for household use. Note that if a microwave oven has other functions (such as grilling or steaming), it is still classified under 851650 because its primary function remains microwave heating. Industrial microwave ovens used for specific industrial processes may be classified under 8514, but general household or similar uses are all classified under 851650. 851660 Other electric furnaces, cookers, heating plates, etc.: 851660 covers other household electrothermic appliances, such as electric ovens, rice cookers, etc. Microwave ovens, because they use microwave heating, have a specific heading 851650, so they are not classified under 851660. 851679 Other electrothermic appliances: 851679 covers other unspecified electrothermic appliances under 8516. Microwave ovens already have a specific heading 851650, so they are not classified under 851679. 851420 Industrial or laboratory microwave ovens: 851420 belongs to industrial or laboratory furnaces, including microwave ovens. If a microwave oven is used in industry or laboratories, it should be classified under 851420; household or similar uses are classified under 851650. 851430 Other industrial or laboratory furnaces: 851430 covers other industrial or laboratory furnaces, excluding microwave ovens. Industrial microwave ovens are classified under 851420, and household ones under 851650. Is it clearly for household or similar use? Is the primary function microwave heating? Does it have additional functions such as grilling? Is it used in industry or laboratories? Have the brand, model, power, and other elements been correctly filled in?

Which HS code should be looked up for microwave ovens? The HS code for microwave ovens is 851650. When searching, first determine Chapter 85 (electrical equipment), then find heading 8516 (electrothermic appliances), and finally subheading 851650 (microwave ovens). Note the distinction between household and industrial use; industrial microwave ovens are classified under 851420. What is the difference in HS codes between microwave ovens and electric ovens? Microwave ovens are classified under 851650, while electric ovens are usually classified under 851660 (other electric furnaces, cookers, heating plates, etc.). The difference lies in the heating principle: microwave ovens use microwave radiation, while electric ovens use resistance heating. The working principle must be accurately described during declaration. How are microwave ovens with grilling functions classified? Microwave ovens with grilling functions are still classified under 851650 because their primary function remains microwave heating. However, if the grilling function is the primary function, they may be classified under 851660. Classification is based on the primary function, and it is recommended to provide a detailed manual. Are the codes for commercial and household microwave ovens the same? No. Household microwave ovens are classified under 851650. Commercial microwave ovens used in industry or laboratories are classified under 851420; if used for commercial food service but similar to household use, they may still be classified under 851650. Judgment should be based on actual use, and it is recommended to consult customs. How should power be filled in when declaring microwave ovens? The microwave output power should be filled in, usually marked on the product nameplate. If the nameplate indicates input power, it needs to be converted or noted. Power is an important declaration element that affects classification and valuation. Is the capacity of a microwave oven required for declaration? Capacity is a common declaration element, but not all customs require it. It is recommended to declare it to help customs confirm the product attributes. Capacity usually refers to the internal cavity volume, in liters. Does the HS code change when exporting microwave ovens to different countries? The first 6 digits of the HS code are globally uniform, but individual countries may subdivide the later digits. For example, the US HTSUS is 8516.50.00, and the EU is 8516.50.00. When exporting, the specific code of the destination country must be checked. How can the tariff rate for microwave ovens be checked? The tariff rate must be checked according to the destination country and country of origin. You can visit the website of the General Administration of Customs of China or the destination country's customs and use HS code 851650 to search. Note that free trade agreements may apply preferential rates.