Laser rangefinder module HS code and import

Laser rangefinder module HS code and import declaration elements

What HS code does a laser rangefinder module ship under?

There is no single code for “laser rangefinder module”. Customs classifies what the goods are, and our catalogue contains three physically different things that look similar on a photo: a complete ranging module, a bare laser source, and (from other suppliers) a bare detector. They land in different headings.

This page gives the classification logic, the three headings that matter, and the declaration elements to hand your broker. It is written for the buyer who is one step from placing an order and needs to know what paper will be asked for — not a substitute for your customs broker, whose determination governs.

The three candidate headings

Heading	What it covers	When it is the right one
9015.10	Rangefinders	The article performs ranging as a complete function: it emits, receives, times the return and outputs a distance. Our range-finding modules are this kind of article — the distance is the output, not a raw signal.
9013.20	Lasers, other than laser diodes	The article is the laser source itself and does not measure anything. The ER series (erbium-glass sources) is this kind of article: an emitter for a receiver chain you build.
8541.40	Photosensitive semiconductor devices	The article is the bare detector (APD, PIN, SPAD) with no laser and no timing electronics. We do not ship this as a catalogue line; it is listed here because buyers often quote a “laser sensor” that turns out to be a detector.

The dividing question is simple and it is not “how much does it cost” or “what is it used for”: does the article output a distance, a light beam, or a photocurrent? Distance → 9015.10. Beam → 9013.20. Photocurrent → 8541.40.

What tips the classification inside 9015.10

It measures and reports. A module that returns a distance over UART/RS485 with its own timing circuit is functioning as a rangefinder even though it has no housing and no display. “Board level” is not a classification criterion.
Vision versus ranging. If the unit captures a full scene (a 3D point cloud with angular resolution), it is more likely a lidar under 9015.10 or 9031.80 depending on the instrument character. Our modules are single-point range sensors and do not build a scene.
Part versus whole. A module sold as a replacement part for a specific instrument is judged by the same functional test; the fact that it is a subassembly does not move it into a parts heading.
Wavelength is not the criterion. 905 nm and 1535 nm modules are classified by function, not by eye-safety class. The IEC 60825 class is a safety document, not a tariff document.

Declaration elements we provide with every shipment

Product name — “laser rangefinder module”, plus model (e.g. LRF3000A1).
Use — one sentence naming the application (UAV altimetry, AGV obstacle avoidance, gimbal payload, industrial level).
Principle of operation — time-of-flight; laser wavelength; receiver type; output interface.
Brand — ERDI LASER, and the manufacturer name and address for origin.
Model and quantity — matched to the commercial invoice line.
Origin — Chengdu, China; the certificate of origin your broker requires for preferential treatment is prepared on request.

Ask for the datasheet plus this element list in one file and the broker can classify without a back-and-forth. That is the practical difference between a shipment that clears in a day and one that sits.

Two things that go wrong

Declaring by price band instead of function. Brokers occasionally reach for a duty rate that looks cheaper on a similar-looking electronic component. A genuine 9015.10 article declared as a semiconductor component is a misdeclaration with the same penalty either way round; the rate saving does not survive an audit.

Assuming the rate is universal. The heading is international (HS 6-digit); the duty rate is not — it depends on destination, origin, and any applicable agreement. We do not publish rates here because they would be wrong for most readers within a year. Ask your broker for the rate against the heading, not against “a laser rangefinder”.

Where to go next

Published unit prices by band — 59 models with a public single-unit price.
Model index — specifications, interfaces, and the price ladder for each model.
Which datasheet fields to check before you compare quotations.

If you tell us the destination country and the exact model list, we will return the declaration elements filled in for each line — tommy@erdimail.com, one working day (Chengdu, UTC+8).

This page explains classification logic for buyers and shippers. It is not a customs ruling: the importing customs authority determines the code, and a broker’s determination governs the entry.