Find HS Code and trade information for brix meter

Brix Meter

A brix meter, also known as a refractometer, is an instrument used to measure the concentration of sugars in a solution. The term "brix" refers to the percentage of sucrose (table sugar) in water, but a brix meter can be used to estimate the concentration of other dissolved solids as well, including salts, acids, and proteins.

Material & Construction

Brix meters typically consist of the following components:

• Prism: Usually made of glass with a high refractive index. This is the core component where the sample is placed.
• Light Source: Provides illumination for viewing the scale. Older models use natural light, while modern digital models have built-in LEDs.
• Scale/Display: Indicates the brix value. Analog models use a visual scale viewed through an eyepiece, while digital models display the reading numerically.
• Housing: Provides a protective casing, often made of metal or plastic.
• Temperature Compensation: Some models incorporate automatic temperature compensation (ATC) to provide accurate readings over a range of temperatures.

Purpose & Function

The fundamental principle behind a brix meter is refraction. When light passes from one medium to another (e.g., from air to a sugar solution), it bends. The degree of bending is directly related to the concentration of dissolved solids in the solution.

A brix meter measures the refractive index of the solution. This index is then converted to a brix value, which represents the weight of sucrose in 100 grams of solution.

Usage Scenarios

Brix meters find application in a wide range of industries:

• Food and Beverage: Determining sugar content in fruits, vegetables, juices, wines, beer, honey, jams, and syrups. Crucial for quality control, processing, and consistency.
• Agriculture: Assessing the ripeness of fruits and vegetables, monitoring sugar levels in crops like grapes, sugarcane, and beets.
• Winemaking: Measuring sugar content during grape harvesting and fermentation to predict alcohol content and balance sweetness.
• Brewing: Monitoring wort sugar levels during the brewing process.
• Pharmaceutical: Measuring the concentration of solutions in drug manufacturing.
• Automotive: Checking the concentration of antifreeze in coolant.
• Chemical Industry: Analyzing the concentration of various solutions.

Common Types

• Handheld Refractometers (Analog): Portable, relatively inexpensive, and require manual reading of the scale through an eyepiece. Often used for field testing.
• Digital Refractometers: Provide a numerical digital display, offering greater accuracy and ease of reading. Typically include features like ATC, data logging, and adjustable scales.
• Inline Refractometers: Designed for continuous monitoring of sugar content in flowing liquids. Used in industrial processing applications.
• Laboratory Refractometers: High-precision instruments used for accurate measurements in controlled laboratory settings.
• Palm Refractometers: Compact and lightweight handheld devices, suitable for quick field measurements.

Brix meters are instruments used for measuring the sugar content in a solution, typically used in food and beverage industries, agriculture, and chemical analysis. They fall under the category of physical or chemical analysis instruments.

The following HS codes are relevant based on the provided reference material:

• 9027102000: Instruments and apparatus for physical or chemical analysis (for example, polarimeters, refractometers, spectrometers, gas or smoke analysis apparatus); instruments and apparatus for measuring or checking viscosity, porosity, expansion, surface tension or the like; instruments and apparatus for measuring or checking quantities of heat, sound or light (including exposure meters); microtomes; parts and accessories thereof: Gas or smoke analysis apparatus: Electrical.

  • 90: Chapter 90 – Instruments and apparatus which measure, check, test, or control.
  • 27: Heading 9027 – Instruments and apparatus which measure or check physical or chemical analysis.
  • 10: Subheading 9027.10 – Instruments and apparatus for physical or chemical analysis.
  • 20: Further specification – Gas or smoke analysis apparatus: Electrical. While specifically for gas/smoke analysis, this chapter broadly covers physical/chemical analysis instruments.

• 9027504015: Instruments and apparatus for physical or chemical analysis (for example, polarimeters, refractometers, spectrometers, gas or smoke analysis apparatus); instruments and apparatus for measuring or checking viscosity, porosity, expansion, surface tension or the like; instruments and apparatus for measuring or checking quantities of heat, sound or light (including exposure meters); microtomes; parts and accessories thereof: Other instruments and apparatus using optical radiations (ultraviolet, visible, infrared): Other: Electrical Chemical analysis instruments and apparatus.

  • 90: Chapter 90 – Instruments and apparatus which measure, check, test, or control.
  • 27: Heading 9027 – Instruments and apparatus which measure or check physical or chemical analysis.
  • 50: Subheading 9027.50 – Other instruments and apparatus using optical radiations (ultraviolet, visible, infrared).
  • 40: Further specification – Other.
  • 15: Further specification – Electrical Chemical analysis instruments and apparatus. Brix meters often utilize optical readings to determine sugar content.

Tax Information:

Both HS codes 9027102000 and 9027504015 currently have a total tax rate of 55.0%, comprised of a 0.0% base tariff and a 25.0% additional tariff. This additional tariff is scheduled to increase to 30.0% on April 2, 2025.