Nowadays, as video games have become a significant daily leisure activity, the demand for various home gaming consoles is also on the rise. So how should imported home gaming consoles and their accessories be classified? Let's find out.
I. What is a home gaming console?
A home gaming console, also known as a video game console, is an electronic device that provides home entertainment. It is abbreviated as "home console" or "video game console", serving as an electronic device for family entertainment. The home gaming console is a type of electronic game device distinct from arcade machines and handheld game consoles. Home gaming consoles typically use TV screens or computer monitors and are operated with dedicated game controllers. The scope of home gaming consoles does not include gaming phones or e-sports computers.
According to the Customs Import and Export Tariff of the People's Republic of China, it is recommended that the aforementioned gaming consoles be classified under tariff line 9504.5030.
II. What are the related accessories of home game consoles?
(I) Joystick for gaming console
Most gaming joysticks are designed based on the prototype of the aircraft flight control stick, providing a high degree of realism. The joystick allows players to control game directions by moving it forward, backward, left, and right.
The aforementioned products should be classified under tariff line 9504.5080.
(II) Game card
Game cards are used to store game data and serve as the medium for running games. Preloaded with games, simply insert the game card into the console to play without the need for a download.
The aforementioned products should be classified under tariff line 9504.5080.
(III) Wireless earphones
Wireless earphones utilize speakers close to the ear to convert electrical signals into audible sound waves, without any visible wires. Radio waves replace the traditional wires, making wireless earphones as sound-quality efficient as wired ones while being more convenient.
The aforementioned products should be classified under tariff line 8517.6294.
(IV) Gaming headset set
The gaming headset set typically comprises a wired headphone, a detachable microphone, and an adapter unit (audio controller). This adapter unit allows users to connect the headphones to the gaming controller, which lacks an audio port. Additionally, it offers supplementary audio control functions, enhancing the overall gaming experience.
The aforementioned products are proposed to be classified under the tariff line 8518.3000.
(V) Game console charging connector
The game console charging connector is a device used for charging game consoles and is not capable of data or video signal exchange. This device employs high-frequency power supply technology and intelligent dynamic charging technology, using power electronic semiconductor devices to convert alternating current with fixed voltage and frequency into direct current. It generally consists of a flexible circuit board and electronic components.
The aforementioned products are suggested to be classified under the tariff line 8536.9090.
(VI) Keyboard
The keyboard is a device for inputting instructions and data to operate computer equipment. It also refers to a set of function keys systematically arranged to control a machine or device. Through a keyboard, English letters, Chinese characters, numbers, punctuation, and other symbols can be input into the computer, thereby issuing commands and entering data.
The aforementioned products should be classified under tariff line 8471.6071.
(VII) Mouse
The mouse is an external input device for computers and serves as a pointer for locating vertical and horizontal coordinates on a computer display system. Its name derives from its resemblance to a mouse. Using a mouse simplifies and speeds up computer operations by replacing the complex instructions required by a keyboard. Mouse is divided into wired and wireless types.
The aforementioned products should be classified under tariff line 8471.6072.
(VIII) Flash memory card
Flash memory cards are storage devices that use flash technology to store electronic information and are commonly used as storage media in small digital products such as digital cameras, handheld computers, and game consoles. They are compact, similar in shape to a card, and offer advantages like fast access speed, non-volatility, and ease of rewriting, hence they are widely utilized.
The aforementioned commodities should be classified based on whether they are recorded. Those that are unrecorded should be classified under tariff line 8523.5110.
(IX) AR glasses
AR glasses, lacking a processor, memory, and control device, typically connect to and are controlled by external devices such as smartphones, tablets, and video game consoles running the Android system. They receive display information from these external devices, project virtual images using a micro-display, and inject these images into the human eyes via an optical system, thus overlaying virtual imagery onto the real world to amplify the augmented reality experience.
The aforementioned commodities are suggested to be classified under tariff line 8543.7099 as other electrical equipment with independent functions.
Disclaimer：The above content is translated from Chinese version of this website. The Chinese version shall prevail.