# HS code 9608.40: Propelling or sliding pencils

> HS code 9608.40 covers propelling or sliding pencils. It sits in heading 96.08 (ball point pens; felt tipped and other porous-tipped pens and markers; fountain pens, stylograph pens and other pens; duplicating stylos; propelling or sliding pencils; pen-holders, pencil-holders and similar holders; parts (including caps and clips) of the foregoing articles, other than those of heading 96.09) in chapter 96 (miscellaneous manufactured articles). Other goods of heading 96.08 are classified under 9608.10 (ball point pens), 9608.20 (felt tipped and other porous-tipped pens and markers), 9608.30 (fountain pens, stylograph pens and other pens), 9608.50 (sets of articles from two or more of the foregoing subheadings) or 3 others.

Source: https://staging.border.bot/hs-codes/960840
Last updated: 13 October 2026

[HS codes](https://staging.border.bot/hs-codes) / [Chapter 96](https://staging.border.bot/hs-codes/96) / [96.08](https://staging.border.bot/hs-codes/9608) / [9608.40](https://staging.border.bot/hs-codes/960840)

## Key facts

- HS code: 9608.40
- Covers: Propelling or sliding pencils
- Heading: [96.08: Ball point pens; felt tipped and other porous-tipped pens and markers; fountain pens, stylograph pens and other pens; duplicating stylos; propelling or sliding pencils; pen-holders, pencil-holders and similar holders; parts (including caps and clips) of the foregoing articles, other than those of heading 96.09](https://staging.border.bot/hs-codes/9608)
- Chapter: [96: Miscellaneous manufactured articles](https://staging.border.bot/hs-codes/96)
- Edition: HS2022
- Duty rates: [Set by each country’s tariff](https://staging.border.bot/countries)

## What this code covers

HS code 9608.40 covers propelling or sliding pencils.

The legal text of the subheading is “Propelling or sliding pencils”, in HS2022.

## What it doesn’t cover

Other goods of heading 96.08 are classified under 9608.10 (ball point pens), 9608.20 (felt tipped and other porous-tipped pens and markers), 9608.30 (fountain pens, stylograph pens and other pens), 9608.50 (sets of articles from two or more of the foregoing subheadings) or 3 others.

- [9608.10](https://staging.border.bot/hs-codes/960810) Ball point pens
- [9608.20](https://staging.border.bot/hs-codes/960820) Felt tipped and other porous-tipped pens and markers
- [9608.30](https://staging.border.bot/hs-codes/960830) Fountain pens, stylograph pens and other pens
- [9608.50](https://staging.border.bot/hs-codes/960850) Sets of articles from two or more of the foregoing subheadings
- [9608.60](https://staging.border.bot/hs-codes/960860) Refills for ball point pens, comprising the ball point and ink- reservoir
- [9608.91](https://staging.border.bot/hs-codes/960891) Other: Pen nibs and nib points
- [9608.99](https://staging.border.bot/hs-codes/960899) Other: Other

## How it is structured

9608.40 is a six-digit subheading. Its first two digits, 96, are the chapter; the first four, 9608, are heading 96.08; the last two, 40, identify the subheading within the heading.

Countries add their own digits after these six for their national tariff lines.

- Chapter 96: Miscellaneous manufactured articles
- Heading 96.08: Ball point pens; felt tipped and other porous-tipped pens and markers; fountain pens, stylograph pens and other pens; duplicating stylos; propelling or sliding pencils; pen-holders, pencil-holders and similar holders; parts (including caps and clips) of the foregoing articles, other than those of heading 96.09
- Subheading 9608.40: Propelling or sliding pencils

## In other countries

No national tariff lines under 9608.40 are live on border.bot yet. Tariffs built on the Harmonized System (HS2022) use 9608.40 at six digits and add their own digits after it.

- Previous subheading: [9608.30](https://staging.border.bot/hs-codes/960830) Fountain pens, stylograph pens and other pens
- Next subheading: [9608.50](https://staging.border.bot/hs-codes/960850) Sets of articles from two or more of the foregoing subheadings

## Frequently asked questions

### What does HS code 9608.40 cover?

HS code 9608.40 covers propelling or sliding pencils.

### Which heading and chapter is HS code 9608.40 in?

HS code 9608.40 is in heading 96.08 (ball point pens; felt tipped and other porous-tipped pens and markers; fountain pens, stylograph pens and other pens; duplicating stylos; propelling or sliding pencils; pen-holders, pencil-holders and similar holders; parts (including caps and clips) of the foregoing articles, other than those of heading 96.09) in chapter 96 (miscellaneous manufactured articles).

### Where are goods of heading 96.08 classified when 9608.40 doesn’t fit?

Other goods of heading 96.08 are classified under 9608.10 (ball point pens), 9608.20 (felt tipped and other porous-tipped pens and markers), 9608.30 (fountain pens, stylograph pens and other pens), 9608.50 (sets of articles from two or more of the foregoing subheadings) or 3 others.

## Sources and updates

The Harmonized System legal text comes from border.bot release 1 (edition HS 2022), imported from a file, and has been live since 13 October 2026.

This page was last updated on 13 October 2026.

Guidance from published tariff data, not a binding ruling. For a decision customs must follow, apply to the destination’s customs authority for a binding tariff ruling.

Machine-readable: https://staging.border.bot/hs-codes/960840.json