Ningbo Customs:
Our trading company recently received an order from a foreign client for several types of heating products. Could you please outline the specific requirements for properly declaring these heating products for export?
Mr. Sun, Manager of a Trading Company in Ningbo
Mr. Sun:
Heating products for export come in a wide variety, with common types including electric blankets, heaters, heating boilers, and others. The following details how to declare such products correctly in export procedures:
■ Essential Elements for Standardized Declaration
1. Purpose: Refers to the intended application or scope of use for the heating product. For example, for a radiant heater (e.g., a “Little Sun” heater) under HS code 8516.2920, declare as: “Purpose: For household use”.
2. Operating Mode: Refers to the operational method of the heating product. For electric space heaters, common operating modes include storage, radiant, and convective. For example, for an oil-filled radiator, declare as “Operating mode: Convective”.
3. Brand (Chinese or ForeignName): Refers to the brand name (in Chinese or a foreign language) applied to the product by the trademark owner (e.g., manufacturer or distributor). Declare the specific brand name, e.g., “Brand: SONGEN”. If the product has no brand, it must be explicitly declared as “No Chinese or foreign brand”, and not simply as “None”.
4. Principle: Refers to the operating principle of the heating product. For example, for a compression-type heat pump under HS code 8418.6120, declare as: “Principle: Compression”.
5. Model: Refers to the code marked on the product indicating its specific performance, features, and purpose. For example, for a compression-type heat pump model KR-909T under HS code 8418.6120, declare as: “Model: KR-909T”.
6. Composition/Content: If the heating product is a textile article covered under Chapter 63 of the Customs Import and Export Tariff of the People’s Republic of China, the names and weight percentages of the textile materials must be declared. For example, for an electric blanket under HS code 6301.1000, declare as: “Composition: 85% polyester, 15% cotton”.
7. Article Number: Refers to the unique identification number assigned by the manufacturer to distinguish different styles or production batches. Each specific style/batch corresponds to one article number. For example, for an electric blanket under HS code 6301.1000, declare as: “Article No.: 10970”.
8. Power (a factor affecting duty assessment): Refers to the rated power output of the heating product, expressed in kilowatts (kW). For example, for a domestic boiler under HS code 8403.1010 with a power rating between 18-35 kW, declare as: “Power: 35 kW”.
9. Temperature: Refers to the maximum water outlet temperature of a hot water boiler, expressed in degrees Celsius (°C). For example: “Temperature: 100°C”.
10. Circulation Device: For this element, simply declare whether the heating product is “Fitted with a circulation device” or has “No circulation device”.
■ Specific Examples
(1) Radiant Heater (often marketed as a “Little Sun” heater)
A typical unit comprises an electric heating element (heating wire, quartz tube, or halogen tube), a reflector (parabolic metal cover), a protective grill, the body housing, a thermostatic switch, and a power cord. When energized, the heating element generates heat, and the reflector directs this heat to create a concentrated, localized warming zone. Temperature is regulated by a thermostatic switch that cycles the power on and off.
HS Code: 8516.2920; Declaration Elements: 1. Product Name; 2. Purpose; 3. Operating Mode (storage, radiant, convective, etc.); 4. Brand (Chinese or foreign name); 5. Model.
(2) Compression-Type Heat Pump
It consists of a compressor, a condenser, a throttling device, an evaporator, and a refrigerant. The refrigerant absorbs low-grade thermal energy from the surroundings and evaporates within the evaporator. This vapor is then compressed by the compressor into a high-temperature, high-pressure gas. The gas releases its heat in the condenser for heating purposes. Subsequently, it passes through the throttling device to undergo a significant reduction in both pressure and temperature before returning to the evaporator to repeat the cycle. This system is commonly used for domestic hot water preparation.
HS Code: 8418.6120; Declaration Elements: 1. Product Name; 2. Principle (whether compression-type); 3. Brand (Chinese or foreign name); 4. Model.
(3) Electric Blanket
The construction includes heating wires (or carbon fiber heating elements), an insulation layer (e.g., PVC or non-woven fabric), an outer fabric layer, a thermostat (with a temperature sensor), and connecting wires. When powered, the heating wires generate heat according to Joule’s law. The thermostat regulates the blanket surface temperature by controlling the current or the on/off cycling frequency, providing direct, localized warmth.
HS Code: 6301.1000; Declaration Elements: 1. Product Name; 2. Composition/Content; 3. Brand (Chinese or foreign name); 4. Article Number.
(4) Domestic Hot Water Boiler for Central Heating Systems
In such boilers, water is heated internally either via fuel combustion or by electric heating elements. A circulating pump then delivers the hot water to indoor heat emitters (e.g., radiators or underfloor heating circuits). After releasing heat, the cooled water returns to the boiler to be reheated, forming a closed-loop heating circuit. An integrated control system maintains the desired system pressure and water temperature.
HS Code: 8403.1010; Declaration Elements: 1. Product Name; 2. Purpose; 3. Brand (Chinese or foreign name); 4. Model; 5. Whether equipped with a circulation device; 6. Power; 7. Temperature.
Please ensure that you complete your export declaration by accurately filling in all applicable standardized declaration elements in accordance with the specific category of your heating products. Furthermore, please pay close attention to the market access requirements and technical standards of your target export market to ensure full compliance.
(Cen Na, Section Chief of Cixi Customs, Ningbo Customs; and Chen Xuhai, Section Chief of the Tariff Department, Ningbo Customs)
January 24, 2026, People’s Daily Overseas Edition (Cixi Customs, Tariff Department)
Disclaimer：The above content is translated from Chinese version of People’s Daily Overseas Edition. The People’s Daily Overseas Edition version shall prevail.
