8471.70.40 - Not assembled in cabinets, and without attached external power supply

This HTS category, 8471.70.40, encompasses magnetic disk drive units designed for automatic data processing machines that are not assembled in cabinets and do not include an attached external power supply. These units are core components for storing and retrieving digital information, functioning independently of a fully integrated system housing. This classification is particularly relevant for parts and subassemblies of larger computing systems where the drive itself is a distinct, unhoused unit without its own self-contained power source.

The primary distinction of this category from its sibling, 8471.70.50 ("Other"), lies in the specific requirement that the units must be magnetic disk drives. The sibling category is a residual classification for storage units that do not fall into the more specific subheadings for magnetic or optical readers, or other types of storage units. Therefore, if a unit is a magnetic disk drive and meets the unhoused, no external power supply criteria, it will be classified here rather than under the more general "Other" category.

Within 8471.70.40, further subcategories provide granular classification based on the type of magnetic disk technology employed. These include specific classifications for flexible (floppy) magnetic disk drive units, hard magnetic disk drive units, and a residual "Other" for any magnetic disk drives that do not fit the specific flexible or hard drive descriptions but still meet the parent category's criteria. This subdivision allows for precise accounting and tariff assessment based on the technological characteristics of the storage media.