Airlift USA research report · published 2026-09-03
Calculated U.S. import duties across 55 origins, March–July 2026
Across $1.48 trillion of goods imported from 55 countries, U.S. Census Bureau data records $6.80 of calculated duty for every $100 of imports. Below: the same ratio by country of origin, by month and by product chapter, built from 1,197,564 lines of Census import statistics, with every table available as a CSV.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. imports for consumption by HS10 commodity and country of origin (CON_VAL_MO, DUT_VAL_MO, CAL_DUT_MO), March–July 2026. Compiled by Airlift USA.
What these numbers mean for your shipments
These are averages over whole countries and product groups. They show where duty is concentrated, but they do not tell you what you will pay on your next container. Your duty depends on your product's HTS code, its country of origin and the provisions that apply to your entry.
Your landed cost will also be higher than any rate here: antidumping and countervailing duties, the merchandise processing fee and the harbor maintenance fee are not included (see what is excluded). For the rate on a specific code and origin, use the tariff simulator.
Key findings
- $6.80 of calculated duty per $100 of imports across all 55 origins. That is $100.7 billion of calculated duty on $1.48 trillion of imports for consumption. It is a value-weighted figure for this sample, not a national rate or what a typical importer pays, and calculated duty is not necessarily the duty actually paid.
- 59.04% of import value had no duty calculated on it. The dutiable portion was 40.96% of import value. Measured against that smaller base alone, calculated duty comes to 16.61%. Neither ratio counts importers or shipments.
- Imports from China: $22.05 of calculated duty per $100. China was 7.45% of import value in the sample but 24.17% of calculated duty, with 81.30% of its import value dutiable. Both product mix and the provisions that apply play a part; these totals cannot separate the two.
- Mexico and Canada came in below the sample as a whole. Mexico recorded $3.39 per $100 and Canada $3.02, with dutiable shares of 19.07% and 20.29%. Each country ships a different mix of goods, so this is not the cost of sourcing the same product from one country rather than another.
- Metals carry far more of the duty than of the trade. HS chapters 72, 73, 74, 75, 76 (iron and steel, copper, nickel and aluminum) were 3.39% of import value but 15.17% of calculated duty: $30.40 per $100 of imports in those chapters.
- July's ratio was lower than March–June. Calculated duty per $100 of imports was $6.88 for March–June combined and $6.50 for July. The data cannot separate the effect of a policy change from a change in what was imported.
- 39 HS headings with more than $100 million of imports topped a 40% effective rate, and all but one are metals. The highest was HS 7606, at 56.05% of dutiable value. Only one of these headings falls outside chapters 72 to 76: the very high rates are narrowly concentrated.
Duty by country of origin
The tables use two ratios. Effective rate on dutiable value is calculated duty divided by the dutiable portion of imports only. Duty per $100 of imports divides the same duty by all imports from that origin, times 100. Neither predicts the duty on a particular shipment.
Japan and Vietnam show why both matter: their dutiable shares were 79.48% and 38.59%, with calculated duty of $10.54 and $6.54 per $100 of imports. Each origin ships a different product mix, and these comparisons do not hold product, trade-preference eligibility or entry circumstances constant.
| Origin | Imports | Dutiable share | Effective rate on dutiable value | Duty per $100 of imports |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | $270.8 billion | 19.07% | 17.76% | $3.39 |
| Canada | $175.7 billion | 20.29% | 14.86% | $3.02 |
| Vietnam | $115.9 billion | 38.59% | 16.96% | $6.54 |
| Taiwan | $115.0 billion | 14.50% | 15.92% | $2.31 |
| China | $110.4 billion | 81.30% | 27.13% | $22.05 |
| South Korea | $70.2 billion | 52.04% | 15.47% | $8.05 |
| Germany | $66.6 billion | 67.46% | 13.65% | $9.21 |
| Japan | $62.8 billion | 79.48% | 13.27% | $10.54 |
| Thailand | $62.1 billion | 32.99% | 16.20% | $5.34 |
| India | $42.2 billion | 51.67% | 15.95% | $8.24 |
| Malaysia | $34.6 billion | 30.49% | 12.97% | $3.95 |
| Italy | $32.8 billion | 71.48% | 14.01% | $10.02 |
| France | $29.5 billion | 44.54% | 12.41% | $5.53 |
| United Kingdom | $28.6 billion | 56.45% | 11.27% | $6.36 |
| Ireland | $25.4 billion | 12.48% | 11.70% | $1.46 |
| Switzerland | $21.8 billion | 34.57% | 13.26% | $4.58 |
| Brazil | $15.2 billion | 66.72% | 16.01% | $10.68 |
| Singapore | $14.5 billion | 19.44% | 9.52% | $1.85 |
| Indonesia | $13.4 billion | 83.05% | 17.56% | $14.59 |
| Belgium | $12.1 billion | 28.97% | 12.37% | $3.58 |
| All 55 origins | $1.48 trillion | 40.96% | 16.61% | $6.80 |
Duty by month
Across the 55 origins, calculated duty per $100 of imports was $6.88 for March–June combined and $6.50 for July. The March–June figure adds up the duty and import value for all four months before dividing; it is not an average of the monthly rates.
A month-to-month change can come from what was imported, where it came from, or which duty provisions applied. This data does not show how much of a change any one policy caused. For what changed and when, see the dated tariff updates.
| Month | Imports | Dutiable share | Effective rate on dutiable value | Duty per $100 of imports |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2026 | $287.0 billion | 40.61% | 17.01% | $6.91 |
| April 2026 | $287.7 billion | 40.47% | 16.80% | $6.80 |
| May 2026 | $293.1 billion | 41.27% | 16.87% | $6.96 |
| June 2026 | $300.1 billion | 42.42% | 16.18% | $6.86 |
| July 2026 | $313.1 billion | 40.04% | 16.24% | $6.50 |
Duty by product (HS chapter)
The three largest chapters by import value: machinery (84) at $4.10 per $100 of imports, electrical equipment (85) at $5.09, and vehicles and parts (87) at $12.58. Each chapter mixes many products and origins.
These ratios do not show which tariff provisions applied or explain why chapters differ, and they do not show what individual importers paid. Read the dutiable share and the rate columns together: they use different denominators.
| Chapter | Imports | Dutiable share | Effective rate on dutiable value | Duty per $100 of imports |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 84 Machinery and mechanical appliances | $388.9 billion | 24.26% | 16.91% | $4.10 |
| 85 Electrical machinery and equipment | $252.6 billion | 32.50% | 15.67% | $5.09 |
| 87 Vehicles other than railway rolling stock | $139.1 billion | 74.62% | 16.85% | $12.58 |
| 27 Mineral fuels and oils | $82.6 billion | 34.84% | 0.18% | $0.06 |
| 30 Pharmaceutical products | $72.9 billion | 1.60% | 9.84% | $0.16 |
| 90 Optical, medical and precision instruments | $47.9 billion | 54.07% | 11.96% | $6.47 |
| 39 Plastics and articles thereof | $29.7 billion | 66.16% | 15.58% | $10.30 |
| 71 Pearls, precious stones, precious metals | $25.6 billion | 18.05% | 14.13% | $2.55 |
| 94 Furniture, bedding and lighting | $23.8 billion | 68.94% | 19.34% | $13.33 |
| 88 Aircraft, spacecraft and parts | $16.7 billion | 6.21% | 12.95% | $0.80 |
| 73 Articles of iron or steel | $15.3 billion | 91.88% | 43.70% | $40.15 |
| 29 Organic chemicals | $14.8 billion | 58.78% | 10.86% | $6.38 |
| 61 Apparel, knitted or crocheted | $14.3 billion | 84.54% | 28.04% | $23.71 |
| 40 Rubber and articles thereof | $13.6 billion | 70.24% | 18.97% | $13.32 |
| 76 Aluminum and articles thereof | $13.2 billion | 83.84% | 47.89% | $40.15 |
Products with effective rates above 40%
39 HS headings had at least $100 million of imports and calculated duty above 40% of dutiable value. The list describes this past period only. It does not show which tariff programs produced the rates or predict what an individual shipment will be charged.
| Heading | Imports | Dutiable share | Effective rate on dutiable value | Duty per $100 of imports |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7606 Aluminum plates, sheets and strip, of a thickness exceeding 0.2 mm | $3.01 billion | 98.35% | 56.05% | $55.12 |
| 7317 Nails, tacks, drawing pins, corrugated nails, staples (other than those of heading 8305) and similar articles, of iron or steel, whether or not with heads of other material, but excluding such articles with heads of copper | $206 million | 98.21% | 53.52% | $52.57 |
| 7607 Aluminum foil (whether or not printed, or backed with paper, paperboard, plastics or similar backing materials) of a thickness (excluding any backing) not exceeding 0.2 mm | $573 million | 98.03% | 52.46% | $51.42 |
| 7315 Chain and parts thereof, of iron or steel | $224 million | 99% | 52.44% | $51.92 |
| 7318 Screws, bolts, nuts, coach screws, screw hooks, rivets, cotters, cotter pins, washers (including spring washers) and similar articles, of iron or steel | $2.35 billion | 96.43% | 52.33% | $50.46 |
| 7412 Copper tube or pipe fittings (for example couplings, elbows, sleeves) | $404 million | 96.86% | 51.83% | $50.21 |
| 7407 Copper bars, rods and profiles | $292 million | 91.93% | 51.67% | $47.50 |
| 7419 Other articles of copper | $147 million | 95.53% | 51.56% | $49.26 |
| 7604 Aluminum bars, rods and profiles | $515 million | 92.94% | 51.13% | $47.52 |
| 7614 Stranded wire, cables, plaited bands and the like, including slings and similar articles, of aluminum, not electrically insulated | $154 million | 98.05% | 51.09% | $50.10 |
| 7310 Tanks, casks, drums, cans, boxes and similar containers, for any material (other than compressed or liquefied gas), of iron or steel, of a capacity not exceeding 300 liters, whether or not lined or heat insulated, but not fitted with mechanical or thermal equipment | $137 million | 84.46% | 50.83% | $42.93 |
| 7408 Copper wire | $273 million | 55.75% | 50.54% | $28.18 |
| 7411 Copper tubes and pipes | $444 million | 95.17% | 50.41% | $47.98 |
| 7326 Other articles of iron or steel | $2.11 billion | 91.44% | 50.21% | $45.91 |
| 7307 Tube or pipe fittings (for example, couplings, elbows, sleeves), of iron or steel | $1.28 billion | 96.33% | 50.15% | $48.31 |
| 7409 Copper plates, sheets and strip, of a thickness exceeding 0.15 mm | $378 million | 78.02% | 49.89% | $38.92 |
| 7314 Cloth (including endless bands), grill, netting and fencing, of iron or steel wire; expanded metal of iron or steel | $188 million | 93.27% | 49.52% | $46.19 |
| 7210 Flat-rolled products of iron or nonalloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or more, clad, plated or coated | $1.13 billion | 97.52% | 49.50% | $48.27 |
| 7222 Other bars and rods of stainless steel; angles, shapes and sections of stainless steel | $216 million | 94.99% | 48.94% | $46.49 |
| 7312 Stranded wire, ropes, cables, plaited bands, slings and the like, of iron or steel, not electrically insulated | $317 million | 94.52% | 48.90% | $46.23 |
| 7228 Other bars and rods of other alloy steel; angles, shapes and sections, of other alloy steel; hollow drill bars and rods, of alloy or nonalloy steel | $168 million | 97.33% | 48.78% | $47.48 |
| 7227 Bars and rods, hot-rolled, in irregularly wound coils, of other alloy steel | $142 million | 99.73% | 48.66% | $48.53 |
| 7605 Aluminum wire | $442 million | 98.03% | 48.32% | $47.37 |
| 7217 Wire of iron or nonalloy steel | $155 million | 97.32% | 48.21% | $46.91 |
| 7306 Other tubes, pipes and hollow profiles (for example, open seamed or welded, riveted or similarly closed), of iron or steel | $1.34 billion | 93.41% | 48.11% | $44.94 |
| 7304 Tubes, pipes and hollow profiles, seamless, of iron (other than cast iron) or steel | $687 million | 97.65% | 47.93% | $46.80 |
| 7214 Other bars and rods of iron or nonalloy steel, not further worked than forged, hot-rolled, hot-drawn or hot-extruded, but including those twisted after rolling | $312 million | 99.82% | 47.81% | $47.72 |
| 7601 Unwrought aluminum | $4.27 billion | 98.46% | 46.61% | $45.89 |
| 7208 Flat-rolled products of iron or nonalloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or more, hot-rolled, not clad, plated or coated | $402 million | 98.89% | 46.07% | $45.56 |
| 7616 Other articles of aluminum | $830 million | 90.38% | 46.05% | $41.62 |
| 7225 Flat-rolled products of other alloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or more | $412 million | 98.65% | 45.64% | $45.03 |
| 7320 Springs and leaves for springs, of iron or steel | $502 million | 47.09% | 44.92% | $21.15 |
| 7219 Flat-rolled products of stainless steel, of a width of 600 mm or more | $332 million | 97.53% | 44.91% | $43.80 |
| 7209 Flat-rolled products of iron or nonalloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or more, cold-rolled (cold-reduced), not clad, plated or coated | $241 million | 98.44% | 44.68% | $43.99 |
| 3818 Chemical elements doped for use in electronics, in the form of discs, wafers or similar forms; chemical compounds doped for use in electronics | $828 million | 2.36% | 43.62% | $1.03 |
| 7612 Aluminum casks, drums, cans, boxes and similar containers (including rigid or collapsible tubular containers), for any material (other than compressed or liquefied gas), of a capacity not exceeding 300 liters, whether or not lined or heat insulated, but not fitted with mechanical or thermal equipment | $137 million | 86.72% | 42.66% | $37.00 |
| 7311 Containers for compressed or liquefied gas, of iron or steel | $171 million | 88.18% | 42.33% | $37.33 |
| 7410 Copper foil (whether or not printed or backed with paper, paperboard, plastics or similar backing materials) of a thickness (excluding any backing) not exceeding 0.15 mm | $269 million | 97.31% | 41.14% | $40.03 |
| 7325 Other cast articles of iron or steel | $169 million | 88.78% | 40.79% | $36.21 |
Methodology
Source. Every figure comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's international trade API, https://api.census.gov/data/timeseries/intltrade/imports/hs, series CON_VAL_MO, DUT_VAL_MO, CAL_DUT_MO, at HS10 commodity level by country of origin. We read 1,197,564 commodity-country-month rows across 275 API responses. Census data is a work of the U.S. federal government and is in the public domain; this report and the CSVs below may be reproduced with attribution.
Definitions.Imports is the customs value of imports for consumption (CON_VAL_MO): goods entered into U.S. commerce, which is the right base for duty questions. Dutiable value (DUT_VAL_MO) is generally the customs value subject to duty. Calculated duty (CAL_DUT_MO) is the Census estimate of duty. Dutiable share is dutiable value divided by customs value. Effective rate on dutiable value is calculated duty divided by dutiable value. Duty per $100 of imports is calculated duty divided by customs value, times 100.
How to read the ratios. We add up calculated duty and value first, then divide, so larger flows of trade carry more weight. A simple average of country rates would answer a different question. The data is totals by commodity, origin and month, not individual importers' bills, so neither ratio measures a typical importer or a specific shipment. Every table shows both.
Calculated versus paid. Census cautions that calculated-duty estimates may differ from amounts actually paid and can be overstated or understated in some cases. See the Census definitions of calculated duty and dutiable value.
Scope. 55 countries of origin (the largest U.S. trading partners, plus the sourcing markets our customers ask about most), accounting for $1.48 trillion of imports for consumption over the five months. This is not total U.S. imports, so don't quote these ratios as national figures. Chapters 98 and 99 (special classification and temporary provisions, not product chapters) are included in the totals but left out of the chapter ranking.
What is excluded. Antidumping and countervailing duties, the merchandise processing fee, the harbor maintenance fee, excise taxes and quota provisions are not in CAL_DUT_MO, so they are not in any figure here, and real landed cost is higher than these rates. Duty drawback, post-summary corrections and protest refunds are also outside the series, so figures for recent months can be revised.
Reporting lag. Census publishes monthly import statistics roughly six weeks after the month closes, and revises them later. July 2026 was the most recent month available on 2026-09-03. Policy changes after July 31, 2026 are not reflected here.
Cross-check against our tariff engine. We ran the same trade through the duty engine behind our tariff simulator, which works out a rate from the Harmonized Tariff Schedule and the Chapter 99 additional-duty provisions rather than from Census totals. On the $1.15 trillion of trade it could score, its rate matched the rate implied by the Census figures on 87% of value (72.5% of individual commodity-origin-month cells).
It did not score 6,119 cells, mainly specific (per-unit) duty rates, cells with mixed USMCA qualification, and codes with no matching HTS record. Most of the remaining 13% of disagreement sits in product-specific exemption annexes that are published as legal notes rather than as data.
Download the data
Four CSVs, one per table. The first row of each names the source. Every file has the raw dollar amounts alongside the three ratios, so you never have to work back from rounded percentages.
Cite this report
Wording corrected 2026-09-22 to clarify the sample scope and the calculated-duty definitions. The source period and original publication date are shown separately.
Airlift USA Inc. “Calculated U.S. import duties across 55 origins, March–July 2026.” 2026-09-03. https://airliftusa.com/research/effective-us-tariff-rates-2026
Canonical URL: https://airliftusa.com/research/effective-us-tariff-rates-2026. The report and CSVs are built from public-domain U.S. Census Bureau statistics. You may reproduce or chart them with credit to Airlift USA and the U.S. Census Bureau.
Press contact. Airlift USA Inc., 2629 Townsgate Road, Suite 150, Westlake Village, CA 91361. contact@airliftusa.com, +1 877-724-7543. Ask us to walk you through the extract, the definitions or a specific HS code.