HS Code for Glassware production machine

Glassware production machines are classified under HS code 8475.29. This classification is governed by the General Rules for the Interpretation (GRI) of the Harmonized System, specifically focusing on the machine's function within the glass industry. Chapter 84 covers mechanical appliances and machinery. Heading 8475 is dedicated to machines for assembling electric or electronic lamps, tubes, or valves in glass envelopes, and machines for manufacturing or hot working glass or glassware. Within this heading, subheading 8475.29 serves as the residual category for machines that perform hot working processes on glass but are not specifically designed for the production of optical fibers and their preforms (which are isolated in 8475.21). Hot working refers to the manipulation of glass while it is in a molten or softened state due to high temperatures. This includes the molding, blowing, and shaping of glass into finished products like bottles, jars, or laboratory equipment. The classification is determined by the fact that these machines change the physical form of the glass through thermal and mechanical means, distinguishing them from machines that merely process glass in its cold, hardened state.

Products Included

• Automatic glass bottle blowing machines
• Glass jar molding machinery
• Glassware pressing machines for tableware
• Machines for forming glass ampoules and vials
• Glass tube drawing machines
• Stemware manufacturing machines
• Bulb blowing machines for non-electric glassware

Common Misclassification

A frequent point of confusion occurs with HS code 8464.90, which covers machine tools for working glass in the cold state. If a machine grinds, polishes, or carves glass after it has cooled and hardened, it belongs in 8464, not 8475. Additionally, industrial furnaces used to melt the glass before it reaches the production machine are classified under 8417. Machines specifically for making optical fibers must be classified under 8475.21 rather than the general 8475.29 category.

FAQ

What is the HS code for Glassware production machine?

The HS code for machines used for manufacturing or hot working glass or glassware (excluding optical fiber production) is 8475.29.

Does this code include machines that print designs on glass?

No, machines used for printing or decorating finished glassware are generally classified under heading 8443 as printing machinery, as they do not involve the hot working or manufacturing of the glass structure itself.