Product classification

HS code for Printing plate setter: 8442.30

Machinery, apparatus and equipment (excluding machines of heading no. 8456 to 8465) for preparing or making printing components.

Classification of printing plate setter under HS 8442.30

A printing plate setter, commonly known as a Computer-to-Plate (CTP) machine, is classified under HS code 8442.30. This classification is located in Chapter 84, which deals with mechanical appliances and machinery. Heading 8442 is reserved for machinery, apparatus, and equipment used for preparing or making printing components. Subheading 8442.30 specifically covers the machinery and apparatus itself, distinguishing it from the plates or cylinders produced by the machine (which fall under 8442.50). Plate setters are critical in the prepress stage of the printing process; they use laser technology to image digital files directly onto printing plates, eliminating the need for intermediate film. Because these machines do not perform the actual printing on paper, plastic, or other substrates, they are excluded from heading 8443 (printing machinery). The classification is determined by GRI 1, as the machine's function is the preparation of printing components. The equipment included in this code ranges from small-format desktop plate setters to large-scale industrial CTP systems used in newspaper and commercial printing. The technical complexity of the imaging system and the automated plate-handling mechanisms are characteristic of the machinery described in 8442.30.

Covers
  • Computer-to-Plate (CTP) systems
  • Phototypesetting machines
  • Laser plate-making equipment
  • Direct-to-plate imaging units
  • Machinery for acid-etching printing plates
Also under 8442.30
  • Kodak Magnus Q800 CtP System
  • Heidelberg Suprasetter A75
  • Agfa Avalon N8-90 CtP
  • Esko CDI Spark Flexo Imager
  • Hell Gravure K500 Engraver

Codes often confused with 8442.30

Common mistake. The most frequent misclassification is with HS code 8443.32, which covers printers that connect to a network or computer. However, 8443 is for machines that print on a final substrate, whereas 8442.30 is for machines that prepare the *tools* for printing. It is also sometimes confused with 8442.50, which refers to the plates themselves rather than the machine that creates them.

8443.32Printing, copying, and facsimile machines; single-function printing, copying or facsimile machines, capable of connecting to an automatic data processing machine or to a network84.43Printing machinery; used for printing by means of plates, cylinders and other printing components of heading 84.42; other printers, copying machines and facsimile machines, whether or not combined; parts and accessories thereof8442.50Plates, cylinders and other printing components; lithographic stones prepared for printing purposes (for example, planed, grained or polished)

Top exporters and importers of HS 844230 (the code used for printing plate setter), 2025

In 2025, the largest exporter of HS 844230 (the code used for printing plate setter) in UN Comtrade data was Germany, with 29% of world exports; the largest importer in UN Comtrade data was the United States, with 8.8% 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 844230, not only printing plate setter.

Top exporters 2025 · share of world exports

  1. 1 Germany $123M
  2. 2 China $74M
  3. 3 South Korea $45M

World total: $424M Reported figures on UN Comtrade ↗

Top importers 2025 · share of world imports

  1. 1 United States $34M
  2. 2 China $28M
  3. 3 India $22M

World total: $383M 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 printing plate setter

Brazil splits HS 8442.30 into 3 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 printing plate setter

What is the HS code for Printing plate setter?

The HS code for Printing plate setter is 844230 (Machinery, apparatus and equipment (excluding machines of heading no. 8456 to 8465) for preparing or making printing components).

How do I classify Printing plate setter for customs?

Printing plate setter is classified under HS code 844230 — Machinery, apparatus and equipment (excluding machines of heading no. 8456 to 8465) for preparing or making printing components. This is a 6-digit subheading level code.

What is the HS code for a CTP plate setter?

The HS code for a Computer-to-Plate (CTP) setter is 8442.30.

Does this code include the software used for the plate setter?

No, software is generally classified under 8523 if it is on physical media, or it may be considered part of the machine's value depending on how it is invoiced.

Which countries are the top exporters of printing plate setter (HS 844230)?

In 2025, the top exporters of HS 844230 (the code used for printing plate setter) in UN Comtrade data were Germany ($123M, 29% of world exports), China ($74M) and South Korea ($45M). World exports came to about $424M, 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 printing plate setter (HS 844230)?

In 2025, the top importers of HS 844230 (the code used for printing plate setter) in UN Comtrade data were the United States ($34M, 8.8% of world imports), China ($28M) and India ($22M). World imports came to about $383M, 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 Printing plate setter the same in all countries?

The base HS code 844230 for Printing plate setter 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 printing plate setter in Brazil?

Brazil splits HS 844230 into 3 NCM codes, so the right one for printing plate setter depends on the product's details: 8442.30.10 (Phototypesetting machines), 8442.30.20 (Other typesetting machines), 8442.30.90 (Other printing plate-making machinery).