HTS heading 8527 · Chapter 85, Electrical machinery, electronics and parts
US imports of Reception apparatus for radiobroadcasting
Reception apparatus for radiobroadcasting, whether or not combined, in the same housing, with sound recording or reproducing apparatus or a clock
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 8527 at a glance
Between March and July 2026, US importers entered $1.10 billion of reception apparatus for radiobroadcasting under HTS heading 8527, from 39 of the 55 origin countries covered here and across 26 ten-digit tariff lines — roughly $220 million a month of customs value under a single four-digit heading.
Chapter 85 covers electrical machinery, electronics and parts; heading 8527 is one of its larger entries by value, which is why the duty treatment below is worth checking line by line.
Top origin countries by share of HTS 8527
Origin countries: value, share and duty paid
| Origin | Import value | Share | Dutiable share | Effective duty | Duty per $100 | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | $565 million | 51.4% | 1.9% | 24.57% | $0.47 | |
| Malaysia | $265 million | 24.1% | 97.1% | 21.92% | $21.29 | Duty on 8527.21.40 |
| Hungary | $59.0 million | 5.4% | 58.5% | 15.06% | $8.80 | Duty on 8527.21.40 |
| China | $51.3 million | 4.7% | 94.3% | 13.33% | $12.57 | Duty on 8527.13.60 China lane |
| Thailand | $51.0 million | 4.6% | 66.1% | 24.34% | $16.10 | Duty on 8527.21.40 Thailand lane |
| Vietnam | $46.4 million | 4.2% | 46.9% | 10.50% | $4.93 | Duty on 8527.13.60 Vietnam lane |
| Indonesia | $19.0 million | 1.7% | 98.8% | 24.61% | $24.33 | Duty on 8527.21.40 Indonesia lane |
| Japan | $9.2 million | 0.8% | 99.3% | 10.69% | $10.62 | Duty on 8527.19.50 |
| Germany | $7.6 million | 0.7% | 39.5% | 15.44% | $6.09 | Duty on 8527.21.40 |
| Taiwan | $7.6 million | 0.7% | 73.7% | 11.21% | $8.26 | Duty on 8527.91.60 |
| Portugal | $5.2 million | 0.5% | 94.2% | 13.22% | $12.45 | Duty on 8527.21.40 |
| Poland | $3.7 million | 0.3% | 81.2% | 14.98% | $12.15 | Duty on 8527.21.40 |
| South Korea | $3.1 million | 0.3% | 82.2% | 15.27% | $12.55 | Duty on 8527.21.40 |
| Canada | $1.5 million | 0.1% | 4.3% | 13.66% | $0.59 | |
| Czechia | $841,000 | 0.1% | 92.1% | 16.93% | $15.60 | Duty on 8527.21.40 |
Who exports reception apparatus for radiobroadcasting to the United States
Mexico, Malaysia and Hungary together account for 80.9% of the heading. Mexico leads with $565 million (51.4%), ahead of Malaysia at 24.1% and Hungary at 5.4%. Concentrated but not captive: alternatives exist, and buyers who qualify a second origin early keep some leverage when duties move.
Mexico sits near the top of the table, and the duty numbers reflect it: Mexico entered 98.1% 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. 41.6% 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 $89.9 million in all, an effective 19.6% on the dutiable value and $8.18 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, Malaysia paid the most duty relative to value — $21.29 per $100 — while Mexico paid $0.47. On a $250,000 purchase order that gap is about $52,000 in duty alone, which is worth pricing into a sourcing decision rather than discovering on the entry summary.
10-digit tariff lines under HTS 8527
| HTS code | Description | Import value | Share | Duty per $100 | Largest origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8527.21.40.80 | Other | $903 million | 82.1% | $8.53 | Mexico |
| 8527.29.80.00 | — | $55.9 million | 5.1% | $0.58 | Mexico |
| 8527.91.60.80 | Other | $33.6 million | 3% | $7.94 | Vietnam |
| 8527.13.60.80 | Other | $28.6 million | 2.6% | $6.25 | China |
| 8527.19.50.10 | FM only or AM/FM only | $12.6 million | 1.1% | $9.60 | Japan |
| 8527.99.15.00 | — | $11.2 million | 1% | $8.24 | Vietnam |
| 8527.91.05.00 | — | $11.0 million | 1% | $9.53 | Malaysia |
| 8527.19.50.25 | Other | $9.2 million | 0.8% | $9.05 | China |
| 8527.21.40.40 | Incorporating optical disc (including compact disc) players or recorders | $8.1 million | 0.7% | $20.92 | Indonesia |
| 8527.13.60.40 | Incorporating optical disc (including compact disc) players or recorders | $7.2 million | 0.7% | $5.95 | China |
| 8527.29.40.00 | — | $4.1 million | 0.4% | $5.06 | Mexico |
| 8527.92.10.00 | — | $3.2 million | 0.3% | $10.01 | China |
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 8527
26 ten-digit lines carried trade under this heading in the period. The largest, 8527.21.40.80 (other), took 82.1% of the heading at $903 million. 8527.29.80.00, 8527.91.60.80 and 8527.13.60.80 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 $8.18 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: Malaysia (8527.21.40), Hungary (8527.21.40) and China (8527.13.60). 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
The practical sequence is: confirm the 10-digit line against the actual goods, confirm origin under the substantial-transformation rules rather than the shipping address, then price the duty on that pair. Airlift USA moves the cargo and coordinates classification and entry filing through our licensed broker network, so the code agreed at booking is the one on the entry.
For the operational side rather than the tariff side, see the Electronics & Semiconductor Commodities 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 85.
Price a shipment under HTS 8527
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 reception apparatus for radiobroadcasting to the United States?
Mexico is the largest origin under HTS heading 8527, with $565 million entered between March and July 2026, or 51.4% of the heading. Malaysia follows at 24.1% and Hungary at 5.4%. 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 reception apparatus for radiobroadcasting under HTS 8527?
Across all origins, 41.6% of the entered value was dutiable and CBP calculated $89.9 million of duty over the five months — an effective 19.6% on dutiable value, or about $8.18 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 8527?
Heading 8527 covers reception apparatus for radiobroadcasting, whether or not combined, in the same housing, with sound recording or reproducing apparatus or a clock. 26 ten-digit lines recorded imports in this period; the largest by value were 8527.21.40.80, 8527.29.80.00, 8527.91.60.80 and 8527.13.60.80. Duty rates differ between those lines, so the 10-digit classification matters more than the heading.
Which origin pays the lowest duty on reception apparatus for radiobroadcasting?
Among origins with at least 2% of the heading, Mexico paid the least duty relative to entered value — about $0.47 per $100 of goods, with 98.1% 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.