US Import Duty Rates by Product Category 2026: Complete Guide Across All HS Sections

When a US importer asks me for a duty rate, the first thing I do is push back on the question itself — because there is no single 'duty rate' for a product category. The same category can carry a base rate of 0% and a Section 301 surcharge of 25%, or a base rate of 8% with an FTA claim that drops it to free. This guide gives you the practical starting point: typical 2026 general duty rates by product category, which HS sections and chapters to open, and where the extra tariffs hide. I keep this as a navigational layer on top of our full HTS database — use it to find the chapter, then verify the exact subheading separately.

Which HS Section Does Your Product Fall Under?

The Harmonized Tariff Schedule is organized into 21 sections, each grouping related industries. Before looking up a rate, pin your product to its section — this almost always tells you the range you are working with:

• Section I-II (Ch. 1-24): Agriculture, food & beverages — see our agricultural import tariff guide.
• Section V (Ch. 25-27): Chemicals and mineral fuels.
• Section VI (Ch. 28-38): Chemicals, pharmaceuticals, plastics (Ch. 39).
• Section VII (Ch. 39-40): Plastics and rubber.
• Section IX (Ch. 44-46): Wood and wooden articles.
• Section X (Ch. 47-49): Paper, pulp, printed matter.
• Section XI (Ch. 50-63): Textiles and apparel — see our Section XI tariff guide.
• Section XV (Ch. 72-83): Metals — see our base metals tariff guide.
• Section XVI (Ch. 84-85): Machinery & electronics — see our Section XVI tariff guide.
• Section XX (Ch. 90-97): Instruments (90), furniture (94), toys (95), and other manufactures.

Average Duty Rates by Product Category (2026 General Rates)

The table below gives typical US MFN general duty rates for common product categories. These are pre-FTA and pre-Section 301 base rates — the actual duty you pay can be higher (Section 301, anti-dumping) or lower (FTA, GSP, duty-free provisions).

By far the widest spread is in footwear and agriculture — those are where a 10-to-20-point swing between subheadings is routine, and where relying on a category average is most dangerous.

Where the Extra Tariffs Hide

Three layers stack on top of the base rate, and all three vary by country of origin:

• Section 301 (China): The most common surcharge, 7.5% (List 4A) or 25% (Lists 1-3), applied to Chinese-origin goods across electronics, machinery, furniture, and textiles. Goods qualify for free if imported from USMCA, KORUS, or other FTA partners instead.
• Section 232 (steel & aluminum): 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum, on top of the base rate, subject to country exemptions.
• Anti-dumping / countervailing (ADD/CVD): Product- and country-specific duties that can dwarf the base rate — Chinese furniture, steel, and aluminum have ADD rates well above 30%.

Because these stack, my rule of thumb is: never quote a duty rate from a category average alone. Average is a bookmark; the subheading is the answer.

How to Look Up the Exact Duty Rate for Your Product

To convert a category into a precise duty rate, walk the HTS from section to chapter to heading to subheading:

1. Identify the HS chapter that contains your product (the table above points you there).
2. Open the chapter in our HTS database and find the 6-digit heading that matches.
3. Read the general rate in column 1 for your country of origin.
4. Check for a special rate (column 2) from an FTA, and any Chapter 98/99 provisions for duty-free or Section 301 treatment.

If classification is new to you, our step-by-step how to find your HTS code guide covers the process from start to finish, and the tariff calculator does the lookup for you.

Remember: a category average rate tells you whether a product is worth importing. It is only the exact 10-digit subheading, checked against your country of origin and any active trade remedy, that tells you the real duty you will pay.