Find HS Code and trade information for taillight

Taillight

A taillight is a rear-mounted light signaling a vehicle’s presence, position, and intentions to other road users, particularly at night or in reduced visibility conditions. They are a critical safety component of all motor vehicles.

Material

Taillights have evolved in materials over time.

• Early taillights: Primarily used incandescent bulbs housed in metal and glass casings.
• Mid-20th Century: Transitioned to plastic housings (acrylic, polycarbonate) for weight reduction and improved impact resistance. Red-tinted plastic lenses were common.
• Late 20th Century - Present: Increasingly utilize LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology. LEDs offer longer lifespan, faster response time, and lower energy consumption. Housings continue to be made of durable plastics, often with polycarbonate lenses for impact and UV resistance. Some high-end vehicles employ advanced materials like PMMA (Polymethyl methacrylate) for enhanced clarity and light transmission.

Purpose

• Indicate Presence: The primary function is to make the vehicle visible from the rear.
• Signal Stopping Intentions: Brake lights, a component of the taillight assembly, illuminate with greater intensity when the brakes are applied.
• Indicate Turning Intentions: Turn signal indicators (amber lights) communicate the driver’s intention to turn left or right.
• Hazard Warning: Hazard lights (flashing amber lights) signal a vehicle is stopped or moving slowly due to an emergency.
• Position/Width: Provides a visual indication of the vehicle's width.
• Reverse Light: A white light illuminates when the vehicle is in reverse.

Function

Taillights operate through the vehicle’s electrical system.

• Standard Operation: A constant low-intensity red light illuminates when the vehicle’s ignition is on.
• Brake Light Function: Applying the brakes activates a brighter red light, often using a dual-filament bulb or separate LEDs. Modern vehicles often employ pulse-width modulation (PWM) to control brake light intensity, making them more noticeable.
• Turn Signal Function: Activation of the turn signal switch causes amber lights to flash.
• Hazard Function: Simultaneously activating the left and right turn signals causes both amber lights to flash in unison.
• Reverse Light Function: Engaging reverse gear activates the white reverse light.

Usage Scenarios

• Night Driving: Essential for visibility in low-light conditions.
• Adverse Weather: Crucial for visibility in rain, fog, snow, or dust.
• Highway Driving: Important for maintaining safe following distances and preventing rear-end collisions.
• City Driving: Enhances visibility in congested traffic.
• Emergency Situations: Hazard lights are used to warn other drivers of a disabled vehicle.

Common Types

• Incandescent Taillights: Older technology, less efficient, shorter lifespan. Becoming increasingly rare.
• Halogen Taillights: A slight improvement over incandescent, but still less efficient than LEDs.
• LED Taillights: Most common type in modern vehicles. Offer superior brightness, faster response time, and longer lifespan. Can be further categorized by design:
  • Standard LED Taillights: Utilize individual LED bulbs or modules.
  • Light Guide Taillights: Employ optical fibers or light guides to distribute light evenly across the lens, creating a more uniform appearance.
  • Laser Taillights: Emerging technology using lasers to create extremely bright and focused light.
• Fiber Optic Taillights: Uses fiber optics for light distribution, offering a unique appearance.
• Integrated Taillights: Taillights are incorporated into the vehicle’s body design, often with sleek and modern aesthetics.

Taillights are electrical filament or discharge lamps designed for use on vehicles to indicate the rear presence of a vehicle. They fall under the category of sealed beam lamp units.

Here are the relevant HS codes based on the provided reference material:

• 8539100010: Electrical filament or discharge lamps, including sealed beam lamp units and ultraviolet or infrared lamps; arc lamps; light-emitting diode (LED) light sources; parts thereof: Sealed beam lamp units Under 15.24 cm: For vehicles of subheading 8701.21, 8701.22, 8701.23, 8701.24 or 8701.29 or heading 8702, 8703, 8704, 8705 or 8711.

  • 85: Electrical machinery and equipment; parts thereof. This chapter covers a broad range of electrical devices.
  • 39: Electrical filament or discharge lamps, including sealed beam lamp units. This heading specifically focuses on lamps and lighting units.
  • 100010: Sealed beam lamp units under 15.24 cm for vehicles. This subheading narrows the scope to smaller sealed beam units used in automotive applications.

• 8539520091: Electrical filament or discharge lamps, including sealed beam lamp units and ultraviolet or infrared lamps; arc lamps; light-emitting diode (LED) light sources; parts thereof: Light-emitting diode (LED) light sources: Light-emitting diode (LED) lamps Other.

  • 85: Electrical machinery and equipment; parts thereof.
  • 39: Electrical filament or discharge lamps, including sealed beam lamp units.
  • 520091: Light-emitting diode (LED) lamps, other. This subheading covers LED lamps not specifically categorized elsewhere.

Important Note: The applicable tariff for taillights depends on whether they are traditional sealed beam units (8539100010) or LED-based units (8539520091).

Tariff Details:

• 8539100010: Basic tariff: 2.0%, Additional tariff: 25.0%, Post 2025.4.2 Additional tariff: 30.0%, Total tariff: 57.0%.
• 8539520091: Basic tariff: 2.0%, Additional tariff: 0.0%, Post 2025.4.2 Additional tariff: 30.0%, Total tariff: 32.0%.