HS 901831 · Syringes (with or without needles)
Get the code right at quotation time, not at customs.
Misclassifying HS 901831 on the commercial invoice walks the cargo into the wrong duty rate, the wrong rebate column, and a customs hold that costs days of demurrage to clear. This page gives you the WCO heading, the product it most often covers, the China VAT export rebate rate, the US Section 301 status, the supplier provinces that ship it, and practitioner buying notes for first-time importers.
For an explanation of how the WCO Harmonized System is structured, what each digit means, and why misclassification is the most common landed-cost error first-time buyers make, see the HS code glossary entry.
Key facts
The numbers a buyer needs at the quotation stage. Verify each against the live source before invoicing; rates and rebate columns move.
| WCO heading | Syringes, with or without needles |
|---|---|
| Chapter | 90, Optical, photographic, measuring, medical instruments |
| Industry segment | Medical industrial |
| Chinese name | 注射器 |
| China VAT export rebate | 13% Source: China State Taxation Administration (国家税务总局), 2025 schedule. Subject to change. |
| US Section 301 | 7.5% Source: USTR Section 301 List 1 / 2 / 3 / 4. Verify against the current schedule. |
| Major Chinese supplier provinces | Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, Henan |
Buying notes
Disposable plastic syringes (1 mL to 60 mL) and the auto-disable / safety variants required under WHO PQS in many emerging markets. China dominates global tonnage (Shandong Weigao, Jiangsu Caina, Wenzhou cluster). FDA 510(k) and CE Mark are mandatory for US / EU; NMPA registration for domestic China. Section 301 7.5% applies. The 0.5 mL low-dead-space type (introduced for COVID-vaccination supply) trades at a small premium; check the dead-space spec on the technical datasheet because not all "low dead space" claims meet the WHO PQS definition.
Common end uses
The applications that drive most of the global tonnage under this code.
- Vaccine and medication administration
- Insulin injection (specific 1 mL / 0.3 mL types)
- IV-line flushing
- Veterinary medicine
- Industrial dispensing of viscous fluids
Where to read next
For the structure of the HS / Harmonized System, what each digit means, and why misclassification costs landed-cost margin, see the HS code glossary entry.
Need a quote on this code? Send us the HS code, the destination port, and the tonnage and we will quote FOB China and CIF / DDP landed including the current Section 301 and rebate position.
Read next
Other codes in the same chapter and the references behind them
HS Code
HS 901839 Medical needles, catheters, cannulae
Chapter 90, Medical needles, catheters, cannulae. China VAT rebate 13%.
HS Code
HS 901890 Other medical / surgical / dental instruments
Chapter 90, Other medical / surgical / dental instruments. China VAT rebate 13%.
HS Code
HS 901849 Dental drills and instruments
Chapter 90, Dental drills and instruments. China VAT rebate 13%.
Glossary
HS Code, Harmonized System Code
A six-digit international product classification code used by customs authorities worldwide to identify goods, assess duties, and apply trade controls. Countries extend the six-digit base with additional digits for tariff and statistical purposes (10-digit HTS in the US, 8-digit CN code in the EU, 10-digit AHECC in Australia).
Glossary
Section 301, Section 301 Tariffs
Additional tariffs imposed by the United States on Chinese-origin goods under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The current List 1, 2, 3, and 4A tariffs add 7.5 to 25 percent on top of the standard MFN duty rate, applied at HS-code level.
Glossary
VAT Rebate, VAT Export Rebate
The Chinese government refund of value-added tax paid on inputs used to produce goods for export. Set as a percentage of the export FOB value, varying by HS code and adjusted by the State Administration of Taxation. Rebates of 13%, 9%, 6%, or 0% are typical for chemical exports. The rebate is the single largest policy lever the Chinese government uses to influence which chemicals are exported and at what scale.
Free download
Free PDF: thirty-point factory audit checklist used on every chemical-park site visit, mapped against the HS-code-leading Chinese producers.