Chapter 92
Musical instruments; parts and accessories of such articles
Section XVIII — Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; clocks and watches; musical instruments; parts and accessories thereof · 7 headings · 17 subheadings
Duty in chapter 92 at a glance
Counted across the 71 US national lines beneath this chapter's subheadings. It says what kind of chapter this is before you read ninety headings to find out.
- Duty-free lines
- 17 of 71 stating a rate
- Ad valorem range
- 2.6% – 8.7%
- Dutiable per unit, not on value
- 1 line is charged per kilogram, litre or item rather than as a percentage of the customs value. A landed-cost estimate built from value alone will understate the duty on those.
Preference programmes appearing in this chapter
Named from General Note 3(c)(i). A programme appearing here does not mean it applies to your goods — that depends on the line, the origin and the agreement's rules of origin.
What this chapter excludes
These notes push goods out of chapter 92 even when a subheading's wording seems to fit. They are the fastest way to find out you are in the wrong chapter.
1. This chapter does not cover:
- (a) Parts of general use, as defined in note 2 to section XV, of base metal (section XV), or similar goods of plastics (chapter 39);
- (b) Microphones, amplifiers, loudspeakers, headphones, switches, stroboscopes or other accessory instruments, apparatus or equipment of chapter 85 or 90, for use with but not incorporated in or housed in the same cabinet as instruments of this chapter;
- (c) Toy instruments or apparatus (heading 9503);
- (d) Brushes for cleaning musical instruments (heading 9603), or monopods, bipods, tripods and similar articles (heading 9620); or
- (e) Collectors' pieces or antiques (heading 9705 or 9706).
Legal notes
Reproduced from the published tariff schedule. Section and chapter notes are binding and part of the nomenclature; statistical notes are US reporting rules and are not classification law.
Chapter 92 — Notes
Legal Notes of the Harmonized System. Binding, and part of the international nomenclature.
1. This chapter does not cover:
(a) Parts of general use, as defined in note 2 to section XV, of base metal (section XV), or similar goods of plastics (chapter 39);
(b) Microphones, amplifiers, loudspeakers, headphones, switches, stroboscopes or other accessory instruments, apparatus or equipment of chapter 85 or 90, for use with but not incorporated in or housed in the same cabinet as instruments of this chapter;
(c) Toy instruments or apparatus (heading 9503);
(d) Brushes for cleaning musical instruments (heading 9603), or monopods, bipods, tripods and similar articles (heading 9620); or
(e) Collectors' pieces or antiques (heading 9705 or 9706).
2. Bows and sticks and similar devices used in playing the musical instruments of heading 9202 or 9206 entered with such instruments in numbers normal thereto and clearly intended for use therewith, are to be classified in the same heading as the relative instruments.
Cards, discs and rolls of heading 9209 entered with an instrument are to be treated as separate articles and not as forming a part of such instrument.
Chapter 92 — Statistical Notes
US statistical reporting only. NOT classification law.
1. For statistical reporting purposes under subheading 9201.10, the height of an upright piano case is determined by measuring from the floor to the top of the back of the case.
2. For statistical reporting purposes under subheading 9201.20, the length of a grand piano case is determined by measuring perpendicularly from the front edge of the cabinet in front of the keys to the farthest point at the center of the grand rim tail.
Notes are reproduced from the published tariff schedule. They govern classification, but reading them is not the same as applying them to your goods — that is what a broker or a binding ruling is for.
Headings in chapter 92
9201 Pianos, including player pianos; harpsichords and other keyboard stringed instruments
9202 Other string musical instruments (for example, guitars, violins, harps)
9205 Wind musical instruments (for example, keyboard pipe organs, accordions, clarinets, trumpets, bagpipes), other than fairground organs and mechanical street organs
9206
9207 Musical instruments, the sound of which is produced, or must be amplified, electrically (for example, organs, guitars, accordions)
9208 Music boxes, fairground organs, mechanical street organs, mechanical singing birds, musical saws and other musical instruments not falling within any other heading of this chapter; decoy calls of all kinds; whistles, call horns and other mouth-blown sound signaling instruments
9209 Parts (for example, mechanisms for music boxes) and accessories (for example, cards, discs and rolls for mechanical instruments) of musical instruments; metronomes, tuning forks and pitch pipes of all kinds
Other chapters
Common questions
What does HS chapter 92 cover?
Musical instruments; parts and accessories of such articles. It contains 7 headings and 17 six-digit subheadings, and sits in Section XVIII (optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; clocks and watches; musical instruments; parts and accessories thereof).
What is excluded from chapter 92?
1. This chapter does not cover: (a) Parts of general use, as defined in note 2 to section XV, of base metal (section XV), or similar goods of plastics (chapter 39); (b) Microphones, amplifiers, loudspeakers, headphones, switches, stroboscopes or other accessory instruments, apparatus or equipment of chapter 85 or 90, for use with but not incorporated in or housed in the same cabinet as instruments of this chapter; (c) Toy instruments or apparatus (heading 9503); (d) Brushes for cleaning musical instruments (heading 9603), or monopods, bipods, tripods and similar articles (heading 9620); or
Are chapter 92's notes legally binding?
This chapter carries 8 binding note paragraph(s) — legal notes of the Harmonized System, plus any US-specific Additional U.S. Notes. They decide classification, and they outrank the wording of an individual subheading. A further 2 statistical note paragraph(s) govern US reporting only and are not classification law.