HTS heading 8541 · Chapter 85, Electrical machinery, electronics and parts
US imports of Semiconductor devices
Semiconductor devices (for example, diodes, transistors, semiconductor-based transducers); photosensitive semiconductor devices, including photovoltaic cells whether or not assembled in modules or made up into panels; light-emitting diodes (LED), whether or not assembled with other light-emitting diodes (LED); mounted piezo-electric crystals; parts thereof
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 8541 at a glance
Between March and July 2026, US importers entered $4.58 billion of semiconductor devices under HTS heading 8541, from 46 of the 55 origin countries covered here and across 36 ten-digit tariff lines — roughly $915 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 8541
Origin countries: value, share and duty paid
| Origin | Import value | Share | Dutiable share | Effective duty | Duty per $100 | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines | $765 million | 16.7% | 90.6% | 10.04% | $9.10 | Duty on 8541.43.00 |
| South Korea | $493 million | 10.8% | 88.9% | 10.25% | $9.11 | Duty on 8541.42.00 |
| Malaysia | $447 million | 9.8% | 52.6% | 11.64% | $6.12 | Duty on 8541.42.00 |
| Japan | $406 million | 8.9% | 8.5% | 7.73% | $0.66 | Duty on 8541.29.00 |
| Taiwan | $394 million | 8.6% | 11.1% | 10.29% | $1.14 | Duty on 8541.59.00 |
| Vietnam | $362 million | 7.9% | 34.3% | 13.06% | $4.48 | Duty on 8541.90.00 Vietnam lane |
| Thailand | $253 million | 5.5% | 62.5% | 10.73% | $6.71 | Duty on 8541.42.00 Thailand lane |
| Israel | $232 million | 5.1% | 0.7% | 3.99% | $0.03 | Duty on 8541.59.00 |
| Germany | $194 million | 4.3% | 6.7% | 9.78% | $0.66 | Duty on 8541.29.00 |
| China | $185 million | 4% | 99.4% | 41.54% | $41.28 | Duty on 8541.10.00 China lane |
| Ireland | $155 million | 3.4% | 0.1% | 10% | $0.01 | Duty on 8541.59.00 |
| Singapore | $140 million | 3.1% | 52.4% | 10.19% | $5.34 | Duty on 8541.43.00 |
| Austria | $90.7 million | 2% | 2.3% | 10.26% | $0.24 | Duty on 8541.29.00 |
| Italy | $76.6 million | 1.7% | 1.5% | 12.61% | $0.19 | Duty on 8541.49.10 Italy lane |
| Mexico | $58.1 million | 1.3% | 1.7% | 10.10% | $0.17 |
Who exports semiconductor devices to the United States
No single country owns this heading. Philippines is the largest origin at 16.7% ($765 million), but the top three combined reach only 37.3% and 46 origins ship into the heading at all. Sourcing this spread out usually means the specification is broadly available and switching origins is a commercial decision rather than an engineering one.
Asian origins supply 72.3% of the heading, led by Philippines, South Korea, Malaysia and Japan. That means ocean transit from Asian base ports and, for most of these countries, no free-trade-agreement relief — so the tariff line you classify into carries the full cost.
What importers actually paid in duty
Duty treatment is split. 46.5% 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 $280 million in all, an effective 13.2% on the dutiable value and $6.13 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 — $41.28 per $100 — while Ireland paid $0.01. On a $250,000 purchase order that gap is about $103,000 in duty alone, which is worth pricing into a sourcing decision rather than discovering on the entry summary.
10-digit tariff lines under HTS 8541
| HTS code | Description | Import value | Share | Duty per $100 | Largest origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8541.43.00.10 | Crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells of a kind described in statistical note 10 to this chapter | $806 million | 17.6% | $9.88 | Philippines |
| 8541.42.00.10 | Crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells of a kind described in statistical note 10 to this chapter | $757 million | 16.6% | $9.90 | South Korea |
| 8541.59.00.40 | Unmounted chips, dice and wafers | $563 million | 12.3% | $0.06 | Israel |
| 8541.90.00.10 | Frames for photovoltaic cells assembled in modules or made up into panels (as covered by subheading 8541.43.00) | $358 million | 7.8% | $5.20 | Vietnam |
| 8541.29.00.55 | Other | $326 million | 7.1% | $2.73 | Malaysia |
| 8541.41.00.00 | — | $252 million | 5.5% | $4.96 | Japan |
| 8541.43.00.80 | Other | $248 million | 5.4% | $8.21 | Malaysia |
| 8541.10.00.80 | Diodes, other than photosensitive or light-emitting diodes (LED) | $163 million | 3.6% | $12.68 | China |
| 8541.90.00.80 | Other | $113 million | 2.5% | $5.08 | Mexico |
| 8541.49.10.50 | — | $108 million | 2.4% | $1.11 | Japan |
| 8541.49.95.00 | — | $107 million | 2.3% | $2.36 | Japan |
| 8541.29.00.40 | Unmounted chips, dice and wafers | $103 million | 2.3% | $1.03 | Japan |
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 8541
36 ten-digit lines carried trade under this heading in the period. The largest, 8541.43.00.10 (crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells of a kind described in statistical note 10), took 17.6% of the heading at $806 million. 8541.42.00.10, 8541.59.00.40 and 8541.90.00.10 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 $6.13 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: Philippines (8541.43.00), South Korea (8541.42.00) and Malaysia (8541.42.00). 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 Solar & Renewable Energy Equipment guide for how this cargo moves, the Vietnam 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 8541
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 semiconductor devices to the United States?
Philippines is the largest origin under HTS heading 8541, with $765 million entered between March and July 2026, or 16.7% of the heading. South Korea follows at 10.8% and Malaysia at 9.8%. 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 semiconductor devices under HTS 8541?
Across all origins, 46.5% of the entered value was dutiable and CBP calculated $280 million of duty over the five months — an effective 13.2% on dutiable value, or about $6.13 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 8541?
Heading 8541 covers semiconductor devices (for example, diodes, transistors, semiconductor-based transducers); photosensitive semiconductor devices, including photovoltaic cells whether or not assembled in modules or made up into panels; light-emitting diodes (LED), whether or not assembled with other light-emitting diodes (LED); mounted piezo-electric crystals; parts thereof. 36 ten-digit lines recorded imports in this period; the largest by value were 8541.43.00.10, 8541.42.00.10, 8541.59.00.40 and 8541.90.00.10. Duty rates differ between those lines, so the 10-digit classification matters more than the heading.
Which origin pays the lowest duty on semiconductor devices?
Among origins with at least 2% of the heading, Ireland 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.