HS Code for LED: Guide for Exporting Lamps  

Lamps might be one of the essential electronic products in the market. Despite the importance of providing lights for our activities, this little stuff is quite often overlooked. Without the lamps, we obviously cannot do our daily activities properly, especially at night. One of the innovations of lamps these days is Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamps, which are widely known as more efficient than conventional light bulbs. Therefore, LED lamps are mass-produced and marketed all over the world. To facilitate the LED lamp in international trade, all actors must understand the declaration of an accurate HS code for the LED lamp. This article will discuss the HS code for LED lamps, major international actors, along with the steps to find the HS code for LED lamps. 

What are LED lamps, and why are they important? 

LED lamps or lighting emitting diode lamps are a type of lighting that produces light from an emitting diode. Meanwhile, the diode is a semiconductor or electrical device made from silicon that has two electrodes or terminals. Therefore, LED lights are produced by releasing the energy through the production of photons. LED lamps are also known as cold light source lamps because they are based on the circuit divice which is different from the traditional bulbs that need a hot light source. 

LED technology lamps have more advantages than incandescent or halogen lamps, which are known as conventional lamps. No wonder that LED lamps are a preferable choice these days for consumers all over the world. These are the advantages of LED lamps over conventional lamps. 

• Higher energy efficiency: LED lamps consume less electricity than their conventional counterparts. These lamps can even be used for the same light output as a traditional light bulb with less than 80-90% energy consumption. 
• Last longer: LED lamps are deemed to last longer than their traditional counterparts. These lamps are several times longer than the traditional lamps, which make them a replacement for the traditional lamps. 
• Direct spot lightning: LED lightning discharges the bright white light in a specific direction rather than spreading the light like a traditional bulb. Thus, these types of light are important for night tasks and spotlights. 
• Lower heat: LED lightning generates the light from the semiconductor, which is not from the heat source. Therefore, they have bright white light and less heat, along with less power than halogen or incandescent lamps. 

Because of the advantages, LED lightning are commonly found in many places, including houses, parks, or other public or outdoor spaces. LED lamps are also commonly used as indicator lights for automotive products, car interior or others. These lamps are also commonly found on electronic devices such as televisions, computers, and phone screens, as well as flashlights. 

The structure of the HS code for LED lamps

In order to transfer the LED lamps across the national border, they must be accompanied by the HS code for LED lamps. The declaration of HS code for LED lamps are requirement for the export and import process. If the declared HS code is inaccurate, you have to deal with several subsequent consequences, including product seizure, delayed shipment, and even lead to the legal charges. 

Harmonized Standard (HS) code for LED lamps covers under Chapter 85, which contains electronic machinery and its equipment. In addition to this chapter, there is a two-digit subheading 8539 for LED lamps. For completing the six digit of HS code for LED lamps, there are two other digits of subheading 52, and the full HS code for LED lamps is 8539.52. 

Other than the HS code for LED lamps, there are other common HS codes for LED that you might need to know. Here is the list of common HS codes for LED technology.

However, the HS code for LED lamps is only the universal code recognized internationally. If you want to ship the LED lamps from one country to another, you need to know the national code to ensure a smooth customs process in the destination country. Please check and identify your product thoroughly first before trying to look up the HS code for LED lamps. 

Top 5 LED lamps exporting and importing countries

Before applying the HS code for LED lamps, you might need to know where the biggest exporters and importers are. This information is important to give you a grasp of where the major LED lamp producers in the world are. Here are the biggest LED lamp-exporting countries in the world under the HS code 8539.52. 

Source: UN Comtrade Database, accessed February 3, 2026

From the provided data, China is undoubtedly the largest LED lamp manufacturer and exporter in the world in 2024. The East Asiancountry has exported LED lamps with a valuation of more than 4.1 billion USD, which is more than any other country in the world. The second position as the biggest LED lamp exporter is held by France, with a value slightly more than 250 million USD. The other manufacturer countries are from the European continent, namely Poland, Germany, and the Netherlands. 

Not only exporters, but we also need to know where most of those LED lamp products are directed in the international trade. These countries are considered the biggest importers or buyers of LED lamps in the world in 2024. 

Source: UN Comtrade Database, accessed February 3, 2026

Based on the data above, we can see that the United States is no doubt the largest buyer of LED lamps under HS code 8539.52 in the world, with more than 1.7 billion USD. These values are more than all of the largest importers combined. The second position is Germany with a value of more than 330 million USD in 2024. The following positions are held by Japan, Poland, and France. 

Finding the HS code for LED lamps

Finding the HS code for LED lamps in the destination country is indeed challenging. For that reason, you need to conduct in-depth research regarding the LED flashlight and match them with the applicable HS code. As we know that HS code is only the initial code, you also need to know the national tariff code to ensure that your declared HS code. 

To simplify the process of looking up the HS code for LED lamps or other products, you might need to consider third party application, such as HSCodeMatch. This application allows users to find and match HS codes easily without the need for categorization. These are the step-by-step instructions for easily finding the HS code for LED lamps using HSCodeMatch. 

• First step: Open the HSCodeMatch application using a web browser by accessing hscodematch.com. Select the HS Code Search tool and set the product’s name or HS code if you already know the code. Then, set the country of origin and the recipient country. For example, we can use the one from the largest exporters and importers above, namely China and Japan. 

• Second step: After submitting the product’s name and country, you need to wait until the results come out. Only for seconds, there are list of HS codes along with the concise description. Then, we can select one of the close products similar to ours. For this example, we can use HS code 853952090.

• Third step: You will be directed to the HS Code Details after selecting one of the HS code for LED lamp lists. Then, you can check the HS code description to identify your LED lamp products. In this page, you will get the tariff rate for exporting this LED lamp under HS code 853952090 from China to Japan. 

• Fourth step: Lower section of the HS Code Details, you can see many insights about tariff rate, regulations for importing LED lamps under HS code 853952090 to Japan. On the right side, you will find an AI chatbot assistant to ask anything related to the relevant resources. 

An AI chatbot is one of the advanced features from HSCodeMatch to find the relevant regulation and alleviate your confusion while finding the specific regulation or requirement for export and import. To know more about the AI chatbot assistant, we can give you examples. These are the example answers from the AI chatbot for exporting an LED lamp from China to Japan. 

What is the applicable tariff for exporting an LED lamp under HS code 853952090 from China to Japan?

The applicable tariff for exporting an LED lamp under the HS code 853952090 from China to Japan is 0%. This is because of the agreement between China and Japan on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). This agreement implemented since January 1, 2022, to reduce the tariff rate for many Asian countries. On the other hand, Japan non preferential regime or Most Favoured Nation (MFN) for importing these products is also 0%. These are the key trade agreements for the tariff rate between the two countries: 

What is the process to obtain the RCEP Free Trade Agreement for exporting products under HS code 853952090 from China to Japan?

In order to export LED lamp products under the HS code 853952090 from China to Japan, there are some requirements. The declaration of goods to the Japan customs agency are the mandatory permit, and it must comply with the applicable regulations. Due to this code under the electrical equipment, they must meet some approvals: 

• Submit an import declaration for the Japan Customs Director-General for examination and issuance of the permit. 
• Verifying the product’s requirements from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), for electrical appliance regulations. 
• There are some other permissions for electronic products if they contain mercury. This is because mercury licences are required for exporting electronic products in Japan. 

Are there documentation requirements to qualify for RCEP’s 0% tariff rate?

To qualify for the RCEP agreement for tariff reduction to 0%, exporters and importers must provide the specific documents, especially to prove the origin of the products. The documentation for the RCEP is a Certificate of Origin (COO) in order to validate the authorities that align with this Free Trade Agreement (FTA). This FTA is similar to other FTAs that require certain documents, including commercial invoices, transport records, and others. 

Conclusion

Finding the HS code for LED lamps might need some attention. This is because you need to understand the products and materials before matching them to the applicable HS code. For LED lamps, the HS code covers Chapter 85, which contains electrical equipment and machinery. Then, the electronic products can be differentiated based on their use and the materials. The HS codes for LED products, they consist of several products that are assembled within the electronic products, such as LED televisions, standalone LED lamps, or it can be indicator LED lamps. Hence, recognising your product is one of the crucial things before transferring to another country. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the HS code for LED lamps

1. What is the general tariff rate for exporting LED lamps from China to Japan? 

The general tariff rate for exporting LED lamps from China to Japan is 0%. This is because Japan enacted 0% tariff for electrical products from other countries under the Most Favoured Nations (MFN) or non-preferential tariff rate. 

2. Are China and Japan involved in a Free Trade Agreement?

Yes, China and Japan are involved in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement signed in 2022. Through this FTA, the two countries are expanding their trade relationship and agree to eliminate the trade barriers. 

3. What are the main factors to determine the HS code for LED? 

The main factors to define the HS code for LED are the materials, physical appearance, and functions. The LED lamp can be installed in other electronic products, such as a television, radio, or they have a function as an indicator lamp. 

4. What is the accurate structure of the HS code for LED lamps? 

The structure of the HS code for lamps is 8539.52. LED lamps are covered under Chapter 85 and Heading 39, which is specifically for various types of lamps. Meanwhile, Subheading 52 is allocated specifically for LED lamps. 

5. Is there any application to simplify finding an accurate HS code for LED?

Yes, there are various applications to simplify finding the HS code for LED. One of the apps you can try for guiding the export and import process is HSCodeMatch. This is a comprehensive application that provides HS codes for all products based on the origin and destination countries in the world. 

Find and Match the Right HS Code for Your Products.

Try Our App