HS Code Subheading

Optical media; unrecorded, excluding products of Chapter 37

8523.41 Subheading
Section XVI — Machinery and mechanical appliances; electrical equipment; parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles

About HS Code 852341

This HS code covers unrecorded optical media, which are blank discs designed for one-time or rewritable data storage using laser technology. This category includes blank CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs, which were once ubiquitous for consumer data storage, software distribution, and media archiving. While their use has somewhat declined with the rise of digital downloads and cloud storage, they remain important for specific applications like physical software distribution, data backup in certain industries, and media production. Importers are often distributors, software publishers, and media companies, while exporters are typically manufacturers with large-scale production capabilities, predominantly in Asia. Key trade considerations include manufacturing efficiency, intellectual property rights for disc formats, and the environmental impact of plastic disc production. The market for these unrecorded media is mature but still serves niche and bulk requirements globally.

Products Under This Code

Blank CD-R discs, Blank DVD-R discs, Blank Blu-ray BD-R discs, Blank CD-RW discs, Blank DVD+RW discs, Blank BD-RE discs, Mini CD-R discs

Real World Examples

Verbatim CD-R, Taiyo Yuden DVD-R, Sony BD-R, Maxell CD-RW, TDK DVD+RW

Common Misclassification

This code is specifically for *unrecorded* optical media and should not be confused with 852349 (Recorded optical media) which contains pre-existing data, or 852351 (Solid-state storage devices).

Products Classified Under 8523.41

Blank CDBlank DVDBlank Blu-ray disc

Related Codes

8523.21 Magnetic media; cards incorporating a magnetic stripe, whether or not recorded, excluding products of Chapter 37 8523.29 Magnetic media; other than cards incorporating a magnetic stripe, whether or not recorded, excluding products of Chapter 37 8523.49 Optical media; recorded, excluding products of Chapter 37 8523.51 Semiconductor media; solid-state non-volatile storage devices, whether or not recorded, excluding products of Chapter 37 8523.52 Semiconductor media; smart cards, whether or not recorded, excluding products of Chapter 37 8523.59 Semiconductor media; other than smart cards, whether or not recorded, excluding products of Chapter 37 8523.80 Media n.e.c. in heading 8523, whether or not recorded, excluding products of Chapter 37

Industry

This code belongs to the Electronics & Electrical Equipment industry.

Trade Overview

China, Taiwan, and Japan are major exporters, while the USA, Germany, and the UK are significant importers of unrecorded optical media.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is HS code 852341?

HS code 852341 covers: Optical media; unrecorded, excluding products of Chapter 37. This HS code covers unrecorded optical media, which are blank discs designed for one-time or rewritable data storage using laser technology. This category includes blank CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs, which were once ubiquitous for consumer data storage, software distribution, and media archiving. While their use has somewhat declined with the rise of digital downloads and cloud storage, they remain important for specific applications like physical software distribution, data backup in certain industries, and media production. Importers are often distributors, software publishers, and media companies, while exporters are typically manufacturers with large-scale production capabilities, predominantly in Asia. Key trade considerations include manufacturing efficiency, intellectual property rights for disc formats, and the environmental impact of plastic disc production. The market for these unrecorded media is mature but still serves niche and bulk requirements globally.

What products fall under HS code 852341?

Blank CD-R discs, Blank DVD-R discs, Blank Blu-ray BD-R discs, Blank CD-RW discs, Blank DVD+RW discs, Blank BD-RE discs, Mini CD-R discs

What are common misclassifications for HS code 852341?

This code is specifically for *unrecorded* optical media and should not be confused with 852349 (Recorded optical media) which contains pre-existing data, or 852351 (Solid-state storage devices).

How is HS code 852341 structured?

HS code 852341 is a 6-digit subheading under the Harmonized System. The first 2 digits (85) identify the chapter, digits 3-4 (23) identify the heading, and digits 5-6 (41) specify the subheading. This code is standardized globally by the World Customs Organization.