HS Code for USB Flash Drive / Memory Stick / Pen Drive: 8523.51.00
The HS code for usb flash drive / memory stick / pen drive is 8523.51.00. Import duty rates: EU 0%, US Free, UK 0%. Rates verified April 2026 against USITC HTS.
Discs, tapes, solid-state non-volatile storage devices, 'smart cards' and other media for the recording of sound or of other phenomena — solid-state non-volatile storage devices

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HS Code
8523 — Discs, tapes, solid-state non-volatile storage devices, 'smart cards' and other media
Classification Context
Chapter
Chapter 85 — Electrical machinery and equipment
Heading
8523 — Discs, tapes, solid-state non-volatile storage devices, 'smart cards' and other media
Applicable Rule
GRI 1 — heading 8523.51 specifically covers solid-state non-volatile storage devices, which includes USB flash drives, SD cards, microSD, and USB-C flash drives
Prior Rulings
EU — EBTI (Binding Tariff Information)
Search EU EBTI databaseUS — CBP CROSS Ruling Database
Search US CBP CROSS rulingsUK — HMRC Trade Tariff
View UK Trade Tariff commodityClassification Notes
USB flash drives (SanDisk Ultra / Extreme, Samsung BAR Plus / FIT Plus, Kingston DataTraveler, Lexar JumpDrive, Corsair Flash Voyager, PNY Attaché, ADATA), USB-C flash drives, and dual-connector OTG drives (USB-A + USB-C, USB-A + Lightning for iOS) are all classified under 8523.51. SD cards, microSD cards, CFexpress cards, CompactFlash cards: all 8523.51. Branded novelty flash drives (rubber shapes, promotional keychains) are 8523.51. Encrypted / hardware-encrypted USB drives (Kingston IronKey, Apricorn Aegis, Corsair Padlock) are 8523.51. USB drives with integrated antivirus or boot-loader function remain 8523.51. SSDs (internal 2.5-inch, M.2 NVMe): 8523.51 if sold as removable storage media; 8471.70 (storage units for ADP machines) if sold for internal computer assembly. External portable SSDs (Samsung T7 / T9, SanDisk Extreme Portable, Crucial X8, Western Digital My Passport SSD) — customs treatment varies; most consumer external SSDs fall under 8523.51 as removable solid-state storage media, but some authorities classify under 8471.70 as storage units. Cloud backup USB sticks with embedded storage capacity are 8523.51. DVD-R, Blu-ray discs (optical media) are 8523.41 — NOT solid-state. External hard drives with spinning platters (HDDs — Western Digital Elements, Seagate Expansion) are 8471.70, NOT 8523.51, because they are mechanical storage, not solid-state. USB hubs that include ports but no storage are 8544.42 (electric conductors fitted with connectors). USB OTG cables are 8544.42. 0% duty across EU/US/UK; Section 301 may affect Chinese-manufactured memory chips but the finished USB drives imported from Taiwan, South Korea are unaffected.
MFN Duty Rates by Market
European Union
8523.51.00
EU Combined Nomenclature (CN) rate — applies to all 27 EU member states
United States
8523.51.00
US Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) MFN rate — Section 301 tariffs may add to China-origin goods
United Kingdom
8523.51.00
UK Global Tariff (UKGT) — post-Brexit tariff schedule, independent of EU CN
Related searches
More Networking & IT Hardware HS codes
Managed Network Switch (Gigabit, PoE, Layer 2/3)
8517.62.00
NAS Drive / Network Attached Storage Device
8471.70.98
Ethernet Patch Cable (Cat5e / Cat6 / Cat6a)
8544.42.90
Rack-Mount Server / Tower Server (1U, 2U)
8471.49.00
SFP / SFP+ / QSFP Transceiver Module (Fibre Optic Network)
8517.62.00
Gaming Mouse / Gaming Keyboard / Input Devices
8471.60.20
Official Sources & References
WCO HS Nomenclature
World Customs Organisation — the international standard behind all HS codes
wcoomd.org
EU TARIC Database
European Commission integrated tariff — EU Combined Nomenclature (CN) rates
ec.europa.eu
US HTS Schedule (USITC)
United States International Trade Commission — official US Harmonized Tariff Schedule
hts.usitc.gov
UK Global Tariff (HMRC)
His Majesty's Revenue and Customs — UK Trade Tariff post-Brexit
trade-tariff.service.gov.uk
Disclaimer: Duty rates shown are MFN (Most-Favoured-Nation) base rates sourced from live tariff database and verified April 2026. Actual duties may differ based on country of origin, applicable trade agreements (e.g. GSP, CETA, UK-EU TCA), anti-dumping measures, or changes to tariff schedules. Always verify with the official tariff database of the importing country before making customs declarations.
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