HS Code for Zinc-air battery

Zinc-air batteries are classified under HS code 8506.60. This classification falls within Chapter 85, which covers electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof. Heading 8506 is specifically dedicated to primary cells and primary batteries. These are defined as electrochemical cells that are not designed to be recharged. Subheading 8506.60 is the specific international designation for air-zinc batteries. The classification is determined by the chemical system of the battery, which uses the oxidation of zinc with oxygen from the air to produce electricity. These batteries are unique because they use atmospheric oxygen as one of the electrodes, allowing for a very high energy density in a small volume. This makes them the standard choice for hearing aids and certain medical devices. The classification follows GRI 1 and GRI 6, as the subheading 8506.60 explicitly names the air-zinc chemistry, distinguishing it from other primary battery types like manganese dioxide or lithium.

Products Included

• Zinc-air button cells for hearing aids
• Large-scale zinc-air primary batteries for signaling
• Zinc-air cells for medical telemetry devices
• Replacement air-zinc batteries for pagers
• Industrial zinc-air primary cells

Common Misclassification

Zinc-air batteries are sometimes misclassified under HS code 8507.80, which covers "other accumulators" (rechargeable batteries). Since standard zinc-air batteries are primary cells and cannot be recharged, they must stay in 8506. Another common error is classifying them under 8506.10 (manganese dioxide) or 8506.50 (lithium) due to their similar button-cell appearance. It is critical to identify the "air-zinc" chemistry to apply the correct 8506.60 code, as duty rates and environmental regulations can vary significantly between battery chemistries.

FAQ

What is the HS code for Zinc-air battery?

The HS code for zinc-air batteries is 8506.60, which is the specific code for primary air-zinc cells.

Are rechargeable zinc-air batteries classified here?

No, if a zinc-air battery is specifically designed to be rechargeable, it would be classified under HS code 8507.80 as an electric accumulator.