HTS heading 3401 · Chapter 34, Soap, waxes, polishes and candles
US imports of Soap
Soap; organic surface-active products and preparations for use as soap, in the form of bars, cakes, molded pieces or shapes, whether or not containing soap; organic surface-active products and preparations for washing the skin, in the form of liquid or cream and put up for retail sale, whether or not containing soap; paper, wadding, felt and nonwovens, impregnated, coated or covered with soap or detergent
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, USA Trade Online / International Trade API, imports for consumption, March–July 2026; effective duty = calculated duty ÷ dutiable value.
US imports under HTS 3401 at a glance
Between March and July 2026, US importers entered $795 million of soap under HTS heading 3401, from 49 of the 55 origin countries covered here and across 6 ten-digit tariff lines — roughly $159 million a month of customs value under a single four-digit heading.
Heading 3401 sits in chapter 34, soap, waxes, polishes and candles, so anything classified here shares a duty structure with the rest of that chapter.
Top origin countries by share of HTS 3401
Origin countries: value, share and duty paid
| Origin | Import value | Share | Dutiable share | Effective duty | Duty per $100 | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $186 million | 23.4% | 0.8% | 16.13% | $0.13 | |
| China | $128 million | 16% | 95.4% | 23.62% | $22.54 | Duty on 3401.19.00 China lane |
| Mexico | $117 million | 14.7% | 0.1% | 8.63% | $0.01 | |
| South Korea | $77.0 million | 9.7% | 96.8% | 9.83% | $9.51 | Duty on 3401.30.50 |
| Colombia | $47.3 million | 6% | 98.6% | 9.97% | $9.83 | Duty on 3401.11.50 |
| France | $32.8 million | 4.1% | 96.3% | 10.07% | $9.70 | Duty on 3401.30.50 |
| Turkey | $23.5 million | 3% | 95.6% | 10.10% | $9.66 | Duty on 3401.11.50 |
| Italy | $22.7 million | 2.9% | 94.7% | 10.04% | $9.51 | Duty on 3401.19.00 Italy lane |
| Germany | $19.8 million | 2.5% | 97.5% | 9.98% | $9.73 | Duty on 3401.30.50 |
| Indonesia | $19.6 million | 2.5% | 95.4% | 10.15% | $9.69 | Duty on 3401.11.50 Indonesia lane |
| United Kingdom | $15.5 million | 1.9% | 95.7% | 10.31% | $9.86 | Duty on 3401.30.50 |
| Vietnam | $14.5 million | 1.8% | 95.6% | 10.08% | $9.64 | Duty on 3401.19.00 Vietnam lane |
| Malaysia | $10.0 million | 1.3% | 96.7% | 10.01% | $9.68 | Duty on 3401.20.00 |
| Poland | $9.0 million | 1.1% | 95.4% | 10.01% | $9.55 | Duty on 3401.30.50 |
| Israel | $9.0 million | 1.1% | 97% | 10.73% | $10.42 | Duty on 3401.19.00 |
Who exports soap to the United States
Canada is the largest origin with $186 million, or 23.4% of the heading, with China at 16% and Mexico at 14.7%. The top three take 54.1% between them — enough concentration to matter when one origin's duty treatment changes, but not so much that a buyer has no alternative to qualify.
Canada and Mexico sit near the top of the table, and the duty numbers reflect it: Canada entered 99.2% of its value free of duty and Mexico entered 99.9% of its value free of duty. Cargo that qualifies under USMCA and is claimed correctly at entry pays nothing; cargo that does not qualify, or that is never claimed, pays the ordinary rate. The certification is the whole difference.
What importers actually paid in duty
Duty treatment is split. 59.9% of the entered value was dutiable and the rest came in free, usually under a trade agreement or a duty-free provision in the tariff schedule. CBP collected $64.3 million in all, an effective 13.5% on the dutiable value and $8.08 per $100 of goods once the free entries are counted.
The spread between origins is real. Among origins with at least 2% of the heading, China paid the most duty relative to value — $22.54 per $100 — while Mexico paid $0.01. On a $250,000 purchase order that gap is about $56,000 in duty alone, which is worth pricing into a sourcing decision rather than discovering on the entry summary.
10-digit tariff lines under HTS 3401
| HTS code | Description | Import value | Share | Duty per $100 | Largest origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3401.30.50.00 | — | $327 million | 41.1% | $5.79 | Canada |
| 3401.11.50.00 | — | $221 million | 27.9% | $11.23 | Mexico |
| 3401.19.00.00 | — | $164 million | 20.6% | $7.46 | China |
| 3401.20.00.00 | Soap in other forms | $53.5 million | 6.7% | $11.01 | China |
| 3401.30.10.00 | — | $23.2 million | 2.9% | $8.12 | South Korea |
| 3401.11.10.00 | — | $6.9 million | 0.9% | $7.05 | Australia |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, USA Trade Online / International Trade API, imports for consumption, March–July 2026; effective duty = calculated duty ÷ dutiable value.
The 10-digit lines under heading 3401
6 ten-digit lines carried trade under this heading in the period. The largest, 3401.30.50.00, took 41.1% of the heading at $327 million. 3401.11.50.00, 3401.19.00.00 and 3401.20.00.00 follow. Rates diverge between those lines, so the classification your broker files is worth checking against the goods rather than carried over from the last entry.
What the duty stack looks like
The rate on an entry is not one number. It is a stack: the general (column 1) rate for the 10-digit line, less any trade-agreement preference the goods qualify for, plus whatever additional duties apply to that product and origin, all applied to the customs value declared. The $8.08 per $100 above is what that stack averaged across every entry in this heading — a benchmark, not a quote.
For the origins carrying the most volume, the per-country breakdowns go a level deeper: China (3401.19.00), South Korea (3401.30.50) and Colombia (3401.11.50). To price a specific shipment, put your 10-digit code and country of origin into the tariff simulator.
What this means for your next shipment
Classify first, confirm origin second, quote freight third. A heading like 3401 rewards that order, because the duty differences between lines and between origins are usually larger than the freight differences on the same lane. Airlift USA handles the freight and coordinates classification and entry through our licensed broker network.
For the operational side rather than the tariff side, see the Beauty & Personal Care Products guide for how this cargo moves, the China to USA lane for transit times and ports and the heading index to compare against the rest of chapter 34.
Price a shipment under HTS 3401
Airlift USA has moved ocean and air freight into the United States since 1999 and coordinates HTS classification, ISF and entry filing through our licensed broker network.
Methodology
Figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's international trade statistics for imports for consumption — the customs value of goods entered into US commerce, not shipments in transit or goods held in bonded warehouses. The period is March–July 2026 (5 months of data), and coverage is limited to 55 major origin countries, so totals here are lower than published US-wide totals for the same heading.
Three quantities are additive and everything else is derived from them: entered customs value, dutiable value and calculated duty. Effective duty is calculated duty divided by dutiable value — the rate CBP actually applied to the part of the trade that was dutiable. Dutiable share is dutiable value divided by entered value; below 20% it means the trade entered mostly free, under a trade agreement or a duty-free provision. Duty per $100 spreads calculated duty across all entered value, which is the figure comparable between origins.
Chapter 98 and chapter 99 are excluded: those are special classification and temporary-measure provisions rather than product headings. Heading and tariff-line descriptions are the current HTS text. Values are historical and reflect duty as calculated at the time of entry; they are not a quote and not a prediction of the rate on a future shipment.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, USA Trade Online / International Trade API, imports for consumption, March–July 2026; effective duty = calculated duty ÷ dutiable value. Census data is a work of the US government and is in the public domain.
Frequently asked questions
Which countries export the most soap to the United States?
Canada is the largest origin under HTS heading 3401, with $186 million entered between March and July 2026, or 23.4% of the heading. China follows at 16% and Mexico at 14.7%. Figures cover the 55 major origin countries in this dataset. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, USA Trade Online / International Trade API, imports for consumption, March–July 2026; effective duty = calculated duty ÷ dutiable value.
How much import duty is paid on soap under HTS 3401?
Across all origins, 59.9% of the entered value was dutiable and CBP calculated $64.3 million of duty over the five months — an effective 13.5% on dutiable value, or about $8.08 per $100 of goods across the whole heading. Your own rate depends on the exact 10-digit line and country of origin.
Which HTS codes fall under heading 3401?
Heading 3401 covers soap; organic surface-active products and preparations for use as soap, in the form of bars, cakes, molded pieces or shapes, whether or not containing soap; organic surface-active products and preparations for washing the skin, in the form of liquid or cream and put up for retail sale, whether or not containing soap; paper, wadding, felt and nonwovens, impregnated, coated or covered with soap or detergent. 6 ten-digit lines recorded imports in this period; the largest by value were 3401.30.50.00, 3401.11.50.00, 3401.19.00.00 and 3401.20.00.00. Duty rates differ between those lines, so the 10-digit classification matters more than the heading.
Which origin pays the lowest duty on soap?
Among origins with at least 2% of the heading, Mexico paid the least duty relative to entered value — about $0.01 per $100 of goods, with 99.9% of its value entering free. Duty is only one part of landed cost, and a claim has to be substantiated at entry to be allowed.
How do I check the duty on my own shipment?
Use the Airlift USA tariff simulator with your 10-digit HTS code and country of origin to see the duty stack that applies today, then confirm the classification before you file. Airlift USA coordinates classification and entry filing through our licensed broker network and can review the code against your product specification.