HTS heading 8538 · Chapter 85, Electrical machinery, electronics and parts
US imports of Parts suitable for use solely or principally
Parts suitable for use solely or principally with the apparatus of heading 8535, 8536 or 8537
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 8538 at a glance
Between March and July 2026, US importers entered $2.27 billion of parts suitable for use solely or principally under HTS heading 8538, from 51 of the 55 origin countries covered here and across 9 ten-digit tariff lines — roughly $454 million a month of customs value under a single four-digit heading.
The heading belongs to chapter 85, electrical machinery, electronics and parts. Classification disputes in this range usually turn on the six-digit subheading, which is where the rates start to diverge.
Top origin countries by share of HTS 8538
Origin countries: value, share and duty paid
| Origin | Import value | Share | Dutiable share | Effective duty | Duty per $100 | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | $721 million | 31.8% | 19% | 15.77% | $3.00 | |
| China | $217 million | 9.6% | 99.8% | 37.73% | $37.64 | Duty on 8538.90.81 China lane |
| Germany | $162 million | 7.1% | 99% | 12.57% | $12.44 | Duty on 8538.90.81 |
| India | $159 million | 7% | 96.7% | 13.97% | $13.51 | Duty on 8538.90.81 India lane |
| Canada | $159 million | 7% | 16% | 18.95% | $3.04 | |
| Italy | $116 million | 5.1% | 98.9% | 13.20% | $13.06 | Duty on 8538.90.81 Italy lane |
| Malaysia | $107 million | 4.7% | 99.5% | 11.95% | $11.89 | Duty on 8538.90.30 |
| Japan | $93.6 million | 4.1% | 98.3% | 11.37% | $11.17 | Duty on 8538.90.81 |
| South Korea | $83.4 million | 3.7% | 92.6% | 10.70% | $9.90 | Duty on 8538.90.81 |
| Taiwan | $64.8 million | 2.9% | 99% | 12.82% | $12.69 | Duty on 8538.90.81 |
| Denmark | $49.9 million | 2.2% | 96.2% | 13.31% | $12.81 | Duty on 8538.10.00 |
| France | $48.6 million | 2.1% | 98.3% | 13.03% | $12.80 | Duty on 8538.90.81 |
| Switzerland | $35.2 million | 1.6% | 97.8% | 13.38% | $13.09 | Duty on 8538.90.81 |
| Austria | $28.4 million | 1.3% | 99.9% | 9.72% | $9.71 | Duty on 8538.90.81 |
| United Kingdom | $26.7 million | 1.2% | 94.7% | 13.40% | $12.69 | Duty on 8538.90.81 |
Who exports parts suitable for use solely or principally to the United States
Mexico is the largest origin with $721 million, or 31.8% of the heading, with China at 9.6% and Germany at 7.1%. The top three take 48.4% 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 and Canada sit near the top of the table, and the duty numbers reflect it: Mexico entered 81% of its value free of duty and Canada entered 84% 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. 66.8% 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 $252 million in all, an effective 16.6% on the dutiable value and $11.10 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 — $37.64 per $100 — while Mexico paid $3.00. On a $250,000 purchase order that gap is about $87,000 in duty alone, which is worth pricing into a sourcing decision rather than discovering on the entry summary.
10-digit tariff lines under HTS 8538
| HTS code | Description | Import value | Share | Duty per $100 | Largest origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8538.90.81.80 | Other | $819 million | 36.1% | $11.24 | Mexico |
| 8538.10.00.00 | Boards, panels, consoles, desks, cabinets and other bases for the goods of heading 8537, not equipped with their apparatus | $312 million | 13.8% | $10.50 | Mexico |
| 8538.90.81.20 | Of automatic circuit breakers | $277 million | 12.2% | $15.20 | Italy |
| 8538.90.30.00 | — | $274 million | 12.1% | $9.20 | Mexico |
| 8538.90.60.00 | — | $253 million | 11.1% | $10.16 | Mexico |
| 8538.90.81.40 | Other | $146 million | 6.4% | $11.78 | Mexico |
| 8538.90.81.60 | Other | $121 million | 5.3% | $8.92 | Mexico |
| 8538.90.10.00 | — | $65.4 million | 2.9% | $8.92 | Germany |
| 8538.90.40.00 | — | $3.5 million | 0.1% | $12.66 | Switzerland |
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 8538
9 ten-digit lines carried trade under this heading in the period. The largest, 8538.90.81.80 (other), took 36.1% of the heading at $819 million. 8538.10.00.00, 8538.90.81.20 and 8538.90.30.00 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 $11.10 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 (8538.90.81), Germany (8538.90.81) and India (8538.90.81). 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 numbers above are a starting point, not the answer for a specific shipment: the rate depends on the exact 10-digit line, the origin, and any trade-agreement claim you can substantiate. Airlift USA arranges the ocean and air movement and coordinates classification and entry filing through our licensed broker network.
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 8538
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 parts suitable for use solely or principally to the United States?
Mexico is the largest origin under HTS heading 8538, with $721 million entered between March and July 2026, or 31.8% of the heading. China follows at 9.6% and Germany at 7.1%. 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 parts suitable for use solely or principally under HTS 8538?
Across all origins, 66.8% of the entered value was dutiable and CBP calculated $252 million of duty over the five months — an effective 16.6% on dutiable value, or about $11.10 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 8538?
Heading 8538 covers parts suitable for use solely or principally with the apparatus of heading 8535, 8536 or 8537. 9 ten-digit lines recorded imports in this period; the largest by value were 8538.90.81.80, 8538.10.00.00, 8538.90.81.20 and 8538.90.30.00. Duty rates differ between those lines, so the 10-digit classification matters more than the heading.
Which origin pays the lowest duty on parts suitable for use solely or principally?
Among origins with at least 2% of the heading, Mexico paid the least duty relative to entered value — about $3.00 per $100 of goods, with 81% 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.