HS Chapter 90 — Optical, photographic, measuring, medical or surgical instruments

HS chapter 90 (Optical, photographic, measuring, medical or surgical instruments) covers 134 product categories in U.S. import records, with 1,445,379 bill-of-lading shipments. The most imported headings are Optical fibers and optical fiber bundles, Apparatus based on the use of X-rays or of alpha, beta, gamma or other ionizing radiations, whether or not for medical, surgical, dental or veterinary uses, including radiography or radiotherapy apparatus, X-ray tubes and other X-ray generators, high tension generators, control panels and desks, screens, examination or treatment tables, chairs and the like, and Instruments and appliances used in medical, surgical, dental or veterinary sciences, including scintigraphic apparatus, other electro-medical apparatus and sight-testing instruments.

Sourced from U.S. Customs bill of lading data · Updated monthly · Data through August 2026 · Chapter → heading → product, drill in for importers and suppliersCite as: ImportDoor, U.S. Customs bill of lading data (data through August 2026), https://www.importdoor.com/products/chapter/90

Headings in this chapter

HS	Heading	Products	Shipments
9001	Optical fibers and optical fiber bundles	6	247,002
9022	Apparatus based on the use of X-rays or of alpha, beta, gamma or other ionizing radiations, whether or not for medical, surgical, dental or veterinary uses, including radiography or radiotherapy apparatus, X-ray tubes and other X-ray generators, high tension generators, control panels and desks, screens, examination or treatment tables, chairs and the like	8	232,446
9018	Instruments and appliances used in medical, surgical, dental or veterinary sciences, including scintigraphic apparatus, other electro-medical apparatus and sight-testing instruments	13	142,438
9021	Orthopedic appliances, including crutches, surgical belts and trusses	8	103,704
9019	Mechano-therapy appliances	2	91,567
9004	Spectacles, goggles and the like, corrective, protective or other	2	85,387
9017	Drawing, marking-out or mathematical calculating instruments (for example, drafting machines, pantographs, protractors, drawing sets, slide rules, disc calculators)	5	60,191
9031	Measuring or checking instruments, appliances and machines	6	54,566
9005	Binoculars, monoculars, other optical telescopes, and mountings therefor	3	48,710
9032	Automatic regulating or controlling instruments and apparatus	5	42,206
9026	Instruments and apparatus for measuring or checking the flow, level, pressure or other variables of liquids or gases (for example, flow meters, level gauges, manometers, heat meters), excluding instruments and apparatus of heading 9014, 9015, 9028 or 9032	4	35,621
9006	Photographic (other than cinematographic) cameras	8	31,984
9010	Apparatus and equipment for photographic (including cinematographic) laboratories	4	31,478
9002	Lenses, prisms, mirrors and other optical elements, of any material, mounted, being parts of or fittings for instruments or apparatus, other than such elements of glass not optically worked	4	30,812
9028	Gas, liquid or electricity supply or production meters, including calibrating meters thereof	4	22,703
9027	Instruments and apparatus for physical or chemical analysis (for example, polarimeters, refractometers, spectrometers, gas or smoke analysis apparatus)	6	21,948
9013	Lasers, other than laser diodes	4	21,616
9029	Revolution counters, production counters, taximeters, odometers, pedometers and the like	3	16,729
9003	Frames and mountings for spectacles, goggles or the like, and parts thereof	3	16,354
9024	Machines and appliances for testing the hardness, strength, compressibility, elasticity or other mechanical properties of materials (for example, metals, wood, textiles, paper, plastics), and parts and accessories thereof	3	13,618
9011	Compound optical microscopes, including those for photomicrography, cinemicrography or microprojection	4	12,802
9008	Image projectors, other than cinematographic	1	12,229
9030	Oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers and other instruments and apparatus for measuring or checking electrical quantities, excluding meters of heading 9028	8	11,927
9025	Hydrometers and similar floating instruments, thermometers, pyrometers, barometers, hygrometers and psychrometers, recording or not, and any combination of these instruments	4	11,622
9015	Surveying (including photogrammetrical surveying), hydrographic, oceanographic, hydrological, meteorological or geophysical instruments and appliances, excluding compasses	5	11,275
9020	HS 9020	1	8,395
9016	HS 9016	1	7,430
9033	HS 9033	1	7,395
9014	Direction finding compasses	4	4,450
9023	HS 9023	1	3,752
9007	Cinematographic cameras and projectors, whether or not incorporating sound recording or reproducing apparatus	2	2,504
9012	Microscopes other than optical microscopes	1	518

Frequently asked questions about HS chapter 90

What is HS chapter 90?

Chapter 90 of the Harmonized System covers optical, photographic, measuring, medical or surgical instruments. In U.S. import records it spans 32 four-digit headings and 134 six-digit product codes.

How many U.S. import shipments fall under HS chapter 90?

ImportDoor has 1,445,379 U.S. Customs bill-of-lading shipment records under chapter 90, updated monthly.

Which HS 90 heading is imported most into the U.S.?

HS 9001 (Optical fibers and optical fiber bundles) leads with 247,002 shipments, followed by HS 9022 (Apparatus based on the use of X-rays or of alpha, beta) and HS 9018 (Instruments and appliances used in medical, surgical).