HTS heading 8536 · Chapter 85, Electrical machinery, electronics and parts
US imports of Electrical apparatus for switching or protecting electrical
Electrical apparatus for switching or protecting electrical circuits, or for making connections to or in electrical circuits (for example, switches, relays, fuses, surge suppressors, plugs, sockets, lamp-holders and other connectors, junction boxes), for a voltage not exceeding 1,000 V; connectors for optical fibers, optical fiber bundles or cables
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 8536 at a glance
Between March and July 2026, US importers entered $6.91 billion of electrical apparatus for switching or protecting electrical under HTS heading 8536, from 50 of the 55 origin countries covered here and across 43 ten-digit tariff lines — roughly $1.38 billion a month of customs value under a single four-digit heading.
Chapter 85 covers electrical machinery, electronics and parts; heading 8536 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 8536
Origin countries: value, share and duty paid
| Origin | Import value | Share | Dutiable share | Effective duty | Duty per $100 | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | $2.23 billion | 32.3% | 22.6% | 11.71% | $2.64 | |
| China | $847 million | 12.3% | 99.6% | 33.33% | $33.20 | Duty on 8536.69.40 China lane |
| Japan | $444 million | 6.4% | 87% | 10.23% | $8.90 | Duty on 8536.70.00 |
| Germany | $424 million | 6.1% | 95.9% | 11.52% | $11.05 | Duty on 8536.90.40 |
| Dominican Republic | $370 million | 5.4% | 85.2% | 10.51% | $8.96 | Duty on 8536.20.00 |
| Italy | $276 million | 4% | 97.5% | 11.89% | $11.59 | Duty on 8536.20.00 Italy lane |
| Taiwan | $273 million | 4% | 95.9% | 10.61% | $10.17 | Duty on 8536.69.40 |
| Vietnam | $241 million | 3.5% | 90.8% | 11.30% | $10.26 | Duty on 8536.69.40 Vietnam lane |
| India | $200 million | 2.9% | 94.1% | 11.42% | $10.75 | Duty on 8536.90.40 India lane |
| South Korea | $178 million | 2.6% | 86.8% | 11.78% | $10.23 | Duty on 8536.90.85 |
| France | $168 million | 2.4% | 94.8% | 11.47% | $10.86 | Duty on 8536.50.90 |
| Turkey | $117 million | 1.7% | 95.6% | 9.60% | $9.18 | Duty on 8536.90.85 |
| Canada | $112 million | 1.6% | 13% | 15.29% | $1.98 | |
| Malaysia | $111 million | 1.6% | 86.5% | 11.11% | $9.61 | Duty on 8536.69.40 |
| United Kingdom | $106 million | 1.5% | 92.1% | 11.33% | $10.43 | Duty on 8536.69.40 |
Who exports electrical apparatus for switching or protecting electrical to the United States
Mexico is the largest origin with $2.23 billion, or 32.3% of the heading, with China at 12.3% and Japan at 6.4%. The top three take 51% 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.
Mexico sits near the top of the table, and the duty numbers reflect it: Mexico entered 77.4% 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. 69.3% 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 $727 million in all, an effective 15.2% on the dutiable value and $10.53 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 — $33.20 per $100 — while Mexico paid $2.64. On a $250,000 purchase order that gap is about $76,000 in duty alone, which is worth pricing into a sourcing decision rather than discovering on the entry summary.
10-digit tariff lines under HTS 8536
| HTS code | Description | Import value | Share | Duty per $100 | Largest origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8536.20.00.20 | Molded case | $946 million | 13.7% | $7.44 | Mexico |
| 8536.50.90.65 | Other | $681 million | 9.9% | $8.47 | Mexico |
| 8536.90.40.00 | — | $661 million | 9.6% | $9.97 | Mexico |
| 8536.90.85.85 | Other | $620 million | 9% | $17.44 | China |
| 8536.70.00.00 | Connectors for optical fibers, optical fiber bundles or cables | $521 million | 7.5% | $7.58 | Mexico |
| 8536.69.80.00 | — | $482 million | 7% | $12.95 | Mexico |
| 8536.69.40.40 | Printed circuit connectors | $469 million | 6.8% | $14.62 | China |
| 8536.30.80.00 | — | $351 million | 5.1% | $10.09 | Mexico |
| 8536.69.40.20 | Cylindrical multicontact connectors | $311 million | 4.5% | $8.42 | Mexico |
| 8536.10.00.40 | Fuses | $196 million | 2.8% | $6.07 | Mexico |
| 8536.20.00.40 | Other | $162 million | 2.3% | $11.74 | Italy |
| 8536.50.70.00 | — | $151 million | 2.2% | $10.32 | Mexico |
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 8536
43 ten-digit lines carried trade under this heading in the period. The largest, 8536.20.00.20 (molded case), took 13.7% of the heading at $946 million. 8536.50.90.65, 8536.90.40.00 and 8536.90.85.85 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 $10.53 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 (8536.69.40), Japan (8536.70.00) and Germany (8536.90.40). 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 8536
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 electrical apparatus for switching or protecting electrical to the United States?
Mexico is the largest origin under HTS heading 8536, with $2.23 billion entered between March and July 2026, or 32.3% of the heading. China follows at 12.3% and Japan at 6.4%. 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 electrical apparatus for switching or protecting electrical under HTS 8536?
Across all origins, 69.3% of the entered value was dutiable and CBP calculated $727 million of duty over the five months — an effective 15.2% on dutiable value, or about $10.53 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 8536?
Heading 8536 covers electrical apparatus for switching or protecting electrical circuits, or for making connections to or in electrical circuits (for example, switches, relays, fuses, surge suppressors, plugs, sockets, lamp-holders and other connectors, junction boxes), for a voltage not exceeding 1,000 V; connectors for optical fibers, optical fiber bundles or cables. 43 ten-digit lines recorded imports in this period; the largest by value were 8536.20.00.20, 8536.50.90.65, 8536.90.40.00 and 8536.90.85.85. Duty rates differ between those lines, so the 10-digit classification matters more than the heading.
Which origin pays the lowest duty on electrical apparatus for switching or protecting electrical?
Among origins with at least 2% of the heading, Mexico paid the least duty relative to entered value — about $2.64 per $100 of goods, with 77.4% 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.