{
  "summary": "USB flash drives are usually classified under HS code 8523.51 when it is a solid-state non-volatile storage device. It sits in heading 85.23, “Discs, tapes, solid-state non-volatile storage devices, 'smart cards' and other media for the recording of sound or of other phenomena, whether or not recorded, including matrices and masters for the production of discs, but excluding products of Chapter 37”.",
  "updatedAt": "2026-10-11",
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Most likely code",
      "value": "8523.51",
      "source": null,
      "url": "https://border.bot/hs-codes/852351"
    },
    {
      "label": "Chapter",
      "value": "85: Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles",
      "source": null,
      "url": "https://border.bot/hs-codes/85"
    },
    {
      "label": "Candidate codes",
      "value": "1",
      "source": null
    },
    {
      "label": "HS edition",
      "value": "HS2022",
      "source": null
    }
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "question": "What is the HS code for USB flash drives?",
      "answer": "USB flash drives are usually classified under HS code 8523.51 when it is a solid-state non-volatile storage device. It sits in heading 85.23, “Discs, tapes, solid-state non-volatile storage devices, 'smart cards' and other media for the recording of sound or of other phenomena, whether or not recorded, including matrices and masters for the production of discs, but excluding products of Chapter 37”."
    }
  ],
  "sections": [
    {
      "id": "choose",
      "title": "How to choose the right code",
      "text": [
        "Use 8523.51 when it is a solid-state non-volatile storage device.",
        "Some similar goods are classified elsewhere: 8471.70 applies when it is a storage unit of a computer, such as an internal solid-state or hard disk drive."
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "codes",
      "title": "Codes for USB flash drives",
      "text": [
        "Each code is listed with its legal text from the HS2022 Harmonized System release, quoted as published, and the condition under which it applies to USB flash drives."
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "similar",
      "title": "Similar products",
      "text": [
        "Products in the same category as USB flash drives, or classified under the same headings."
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "countries",
      "title": "Duty rates by country",
      "text": [
        "National tariff lines for USB flash drives are live for the United States. Each page lists the lines under the codes above, with their duty rates where they are live."
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "check",
      "title": "Check your exact product",
      "text": [
        "Describe your product, or paste its page, and the classifier suggests the code with its reasons."
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "note",
      "title": "Classification depends on the exact product",
      "text": [
        "The right code depends on what the product is made of, how it is made and what it is for, so two products sold as USB flash drives can fall under different codes.",
        "Guidance from published tariff data, not a binding ruling. For a decision customs must follow, apply to the destination’s customs authority for a binding tariff ruling."
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "sources",
      "title": "Sources and updates",
      "text": [
        "The legal texts are from the HS2022 Harmonized System release, live on border.bot since 11 October 2026.",
        "The conditions and questions on this page were written for USB flash drives by border.bot and checked against those legal texts; the page changes when a new release goes live or the topic is reviewed again."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "data": {
    "type": "product-topic",
    "topic": {
      "slug": "usb-flash-drives",
      "name": "USB flash drives",
      "singular": "USB flash drive",
      "plural": "USB flash drives",
      "synonyms": [
        "usb stick",
        "thumb drive",
        "pen drive",
        "memory stick",
        "flash drive"
      ],
      "category": {
        "id": "electronics",
        "name": "Electronics"
      }
    },
    "edition": "HS2022",
    "codes": [
      {
        "code": "852351",
        "role": "likely",
        "when": "it is a solid-state non-volatile storage device",
        "legalText": "Semiconductor media: Solid-state non-volatile storage devices",
        "levels": [
          "Semiconductor media",
          "Solid-state non-volatile storage devices"
        ],
        "heading": {
          "code": "8523",
          "description": "Discs, tapes, solid-state non-volatile storage devices, 'smart cards' and other media for the recording of sound or of other phenomena, whether or not recorded, including matrices and masters for the production of discs, but excluding products of Chapter 37"
        },
        "chapter": {
          "code": "85",
          "description": "Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles"
        }
      },
      {
        "code": "847170",
        "role": "elsewhere",
        "when": "it is a storage unit of a computer, such as an internal solid-state or hard disk drive",
        "legalText": "Storage units",
        "levels": [
          "Storage units"
        ],
        "heading": {
          "code": "8471",
          "description": "Automatic data processing machines and units thereof; magnetic or optical readers, machines for transcribing data onto data media in coded form and machines for processing such data, not elsewhere specified or included"
        },
        "chapter": {
          "code": "84",
          "description": "Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof"
        }
      }
    ],
    "questions": [],
    "similar": [
      {
        "slug": "memory-cards",
        "name": "Memory cards",
        "category": {
          "id": "electronics",
          "name": "Electronics"
        },
        "codes": [
          "852351"
        ]
      },
      {
        "slug": "vinyl-records",
        "name": "Vinyl records",
        "category": {
          "id": "books-media",
          "name": "Books and media"
        },
        "codes": [
          "852380"
        ]
      },
      {
        "slug": "computer-keyboards",
        "name": "Computer keyboards",
        "category": {
          "id": "electronics",
          "name": "Electronics"
        },
        "codes": [
          "847160"
        ]
      },
      {
        "slug": "computer-mice",
        "name": "Computer mice",
        "category": {
          "id": "electronics",
          "name": "Electronics"
        },
        "codes": [
          "847160"
        ]
      },
      {
        "slug": "computer-monitors",
        "name": "Computer monitors",
        "category": {
          "id": "electronics",
          "name": "Electronics"
        },
        "codes": [
          "852852"
        ]
      },
      {
        "slug": "digital-cameras",
        "name": "Digital cameras",
        "category": {
          "id": "electronics",
          "name": "Electronics"
        },
        "codes": [
          "852589"
        ]
      },
      {
        "slug": "headphones",
        "name": "Headphones",
        "category": {
          "id": "electronics",
          "name": "Electronics"
        },
        "codes": [
          "851830"
        ]
      },
      {
        "slug": "laptops",
        "name": "Laptops",
        "category": {
          "id": "electronics",
          "name": "Electronics"
        },
        "codes": [
          "847130"
        ]
      },
      {
        "slug": "phone-chargers",
        "name": "Phone chargers",
        "category": {
          "id": "electronics",
          "name": "Electronics"
        },
        "codes": [
          "850440"
        ]
      },
      {
        "slug": "smartphones",
        "name": "Smartphones",
        "category": {
          "id": "electronics",
          "name": "Electronics"
        },
        "codes": [
          "851713"
        ]
      },
      {
        "slug": "tablets",
        "name": "Tablet computers",
        "category": {
          "id": "electronics",
          "name": "Electronics"
        },
        "codes": [
          "847130"
        ]
      },
      {
        "slug": "televisions",
        "name": "Televisions",
        "category": {
          "id": "electronics",
          "name": "Electronics"
        },
        "codes": [
          "852872"
        ]
      }
    ],
    "countries": [
      {
        "code": "US",
        "name": "United States",
        "slug": "united-states",
        "lines": 1,
        "ratesLive": true
      }
    ],
    "provenance": [
      {
        "dataset": "GLOBAL:hs",
        "country": "GLOBAL",
        "kind": "hs",
        "seq": 2,
        "version": "mytraddal hs2022.csv (HS 2022)",
        "liveAt": "2026-10-11T06:04:17.693Z",
        "origin": "upload",
        "sourceUrls": []
      }
    ],
    "dateModified": "2026-10-11T08:23:53.439Z",
    "seo": {
      "canonicalPath": "/hs-codes/for/usb-flash-drives",
      "robots": "index",
      "sitemap": true,
      "reasons": [
        "published topic, every candidate in the live HS release"
      ]
    }
  },
  "links": {
    "self": "https://border.bot/hs-codes/for/usb-flash-drives.json",
    "html": "https://border.bot/hs-codes/for/usb-flash-drives",
    "canonical": "https://border.bot/hs-codes/for/usb-flash-drives",
    "markdown": "https://border.bot/hs-codes/for/usb-flash-drives.md",
    "tools": {
      "classifier": "https://border.bot/tools/hs-code-classifier?product=USB+flash+drive",
      "calculator": "https://border.bot/tools/landed-cost-calculator",
      "api": "https://api.border.bot/v1"
    }
  },
  "attribution": "border.bot tariff reference (border.bot), compiled from the official publishers named on each page.",
  "terms": "https://border.bot/legal/terms",
  "notice": "Guidance from published tariff data, not a binding ruling. For a decision customs must follow, apply to the destination’s customs authority for a binding tariff ruling.",
  "catalogVersion": "08bc53aa"
}