Product classification

HS code for Photomultiplier tube: 8540.20

Tubes, television camera tubes, image converters and intensifiers, other photo-cathode tubes.

Classification of photomultiplier tube under HS 8540.20

The Photomultiplier Tube (PMT) is classified under HS code 8540.20, which specifically covers television camera tubes, image converters, image intensifiers, and other photo-cathode tubes. This classification is determined by the fundamental operating principle of the device. Unlike solid-state sensors, a PMT is a vacuum tube that utilizes the photoelectric effect combined with secondary emission to detect and amplify extremely weak signals of light. Because it relies on a vacuum environment and a series of dynodes (electrodes) to multiply electrons, it falls squarely within the category of thermionic, cold cathode, or photo-cathode valves and tubes of heading 8540. The specific subheading 8540.20 is designated for tubes that convert an optical image or light signal into an electronic signal or an intensified optical image, which is the primary function of a photomultiplier.

Covers
  • Standard head-on photomultiplier tubes
  • Side-on photomultiplier tubes
  • Microchannel plate (MCP) photomultiplier tubes
  • High-gain dynode-based vacuum photodetectors
  • Ruggedized PMTs for scintillation counting
Also under 8540.20
  • Hamamatsu R6095 (PMT)
  • Philips X-ray Image Intensifier
  • Sony Trinicon (camera tube)
  • RCA Vidicon (camera tube)
  • ITT Night Vision Image Intensifier

Codes often confused with 8540.20

Common mistake. Photomultiplier tubes are frequently misclassified under HS code 8541.42 or 8541.43, which cover photosensitive semiconductor devices like photodiodes. The critical distinction is the technology: 8541 is reserved for solid-state semiconductor components, whereas 8540 is for vacuum tube technology. Additionally, complete scintillation detectors that incorporate a PMT and a crystal may sometimes be incorrectly classified here, though they may belong in 9022 or 9030 depending on their specific application in medical or physical analysis.

8541.42Electrical apparatus; photosensitive semiconductor devices, photovoltaic cells not assembled in modules or made up into panels8541.43Electrical apparatus; photosensitive semiconductor devices, photovoltaic cells assembled in modules or made up into panels85.41Semiconductor devices (e.g. diodes, transistors, semiconductor based transducers); including photovoltaic cells assembled or not in modules or panels, light-emitting diodes (LED) assembled with other LEDs or not, mounted piezo-electric crystals85.40Thermionic, cold cathode or photo-cathode valves and tubes (e.g. vacuum, vapour, gas filled valves and tubes, mercury arc rectifying valves and tubes, cathode-ray and television camera tubes)90.22Apparatus based on the use of x-rays or of alpha, beta, gamma or other ionising radiations, whether or not for medical, surgical, dental or veterinary uses, including radiography or radiotherapy apparatus, x-ray tubes and other x-ray generators, high tens90.30Instruments, apparatus for measuring, checking electrical quantities not meters of heading no. 9028; instruments, apparatus for measuring or detecting alpha, beta, gamma, x-ray, cosmic and other radiations

Top exporters and importers of HS 854020 (the code used for photomultiplier tube), 2025

In 2025, the largest exporter of HS 854020 (the code used for photomultiplier tube) in UN Comtrade data was the Netherlands, with 28% of world exports; the largest importer in UN Comtrade data was Greece, with 36% of world imports. Countries that did not report 2025 data are estimated from partner records, which can understate them.

Figures cover everything classified under HS 854020, not only photomultiplier tube.

Top exporters 2025 · share of world exports

  1. 1 Netherlands $220M
  2. 2 France $170M
  3. 3 United States $138M

World total: $775M Reported figures on UN Comtrade ↗

Top importers 2025 · share of world imports

  1. 1 Greece $202M
  2. 2 United States $56M
  3. 3 United Kingdom $26M

World total: $561M Reported figures on UN Comtrade ↗

How these figures are built

109 countries reported 2025 trade to UN Comtrade in HS 2022, and their own totals are used. Countries that did not report are estimated from what other countries recorded trading with them. Those estimates miss trade with other non-reporting countries, so they can be low, and a non-reporting country can rank higher than shown or be missing from the list. World totals add both and leave out trade between two non-reporting countries. Figures are in current US dollars; reported imports are mostly valued CIF and exports FOB, and exports include re-exports. The UN Comtrade links show the underlying records; they can also list a few reporters left out here (regional groups and older HS editions).

Source: UN Comtrade (United Nations Statistics Division), 2025 annual data.

Brazil NCM codes for photomultiplier tube

Brazil splits HS 8540.20 into 4 NCM codes. Pick the one that matches your product:

Source: Siscomex NCM table, updated Oct 2026. The Portuguese text on each NCM page is the official one.

Questions about photomultiplier tube

What is the HS code for Photomultiplier tube?

The HS code for Photomultiplier tube is 854020 (Tubes; television camera tubes, image converters and intensifiers, other photo-cathode tubes). The primary HS code for a standalone photomultiplier tube is 8540.20.

How do I classify Photomultiplier tube for customs?

Photomultiplier tube is classified under HS code 854020 — Tubes; television camera tubes, image converters and intensifiers, other photo-cathode tubes. This is a 6-digit subheading level code.

Is a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) classified under 8540.20?

No, a Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) is a semiconductor-based device and is classified under heading 8541, typically 8541.49, because it does not utilize vacuum tube technology.

Which countries are the top exporters of photomultiplier tube (HS 854020)?

In 2025, the top exporters of HS 854020 (the code used for photomultiplier tube) in UN Comtrade data were the Netherlands ($220M, 28% of world exports), France ($170M) and the United States ($138M). World exports came to about $775M, adding countries' reported figures and partner-based estimates for those that did not report (UN Comtrade data). Countries that did not report 2025 data are estimated from partner records, which can understate them.

Which countries are the top importers of photomultiplier tube (HS 854020)?

In 2025, the top importers of HS 854020 (the code used for photomultiplier tube) in UN Comtrade data were Greece ($202M, 36% of world imports), the United States ($56M) and the United Kingdom ($26M). World imports came to about $561M, adding countries' reported figures and partner-based estimates for those that did not report (UN Comtrade data). Countries that did not report 2025 data are estimated from partner records, which can understate them.

Is the HS code for Photomultiplier tube the same in all countries?

The base HS code 854020 for Photomultiplier tube is internationally standardized for the first 6 digits across 200+ countries. Individual countries may add additional digits for national tariff lines and specific classifications.

What is the NCM code for photomultiplier tube in Brazil?

Brazil splits HS 854020 into 4 NCM codes, so the right one for photomultiplier tube depends on the product's details: 8540.20.11 (Monochrome television camera tubes), 8540.20.19 (Other television camera tubes), 8540.20.20 (X-ray image converter and intensifier tubes), 8540.20.90 (Other image converters and photo-cathode tubes).