What Germany ships to the United States
Of the 300 largest U.S. import headings (four-digit HTS product groups), Germany is one of the top 15 suppliers on 235. Those headings were worth $53.5 billion in March–July 2026, 80.4% of all U.S. imports from Germany in the period.
The table groups those headings by HS chapter. Goods outside the 300 largest headings, and headings where Germany is not among the top 15 origins, count toward the total above but are not in the table.
| HS chapter | Value (March–July 2026) | Share of covered value | Largest headings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 84 Machinery, mechanical appliances and computers · shipping guide | $13.4 billion | 25% | 8411 Turbojets, turbopropellers and other gas turbines ($1.75 billion); 8479 Machines and mechanical appliances having individual functions ($1.30 billion); 8481 Taps, cocks, valves and similar appliances, for pipes ($685 million); 8483 Transmission shafts and cranks ($682 million) |
| 87 Vehicles other than railway rolling stock · shipping guide | $10.6 billion | 19.8% | 8703 Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed ($8.28 billion); 8708 Parts and accessories of motor vehicles ($1.71 billion); 8701 Tractors ($411 million); 8711 Motorcycles and cycles fitted with an auxiliary motor ($94.1 million) |
| 30 Pharmaceutical products · shipping guide | $8.39 billion | 15.7% | 3002 Human blood ($6.68 billion); 3004 Medicaments consisting ($1.36 billion); 3006 Pharmaceutical goods specified in note 4 to this chapter ($309 million); 3005 Wadding, gauze, bandages and similar articles ($41.5 million) |
| 85 Electrical machinery, electronics and parts · shipping guide | $5.34 billion | 10% | 8537 Boards, panels, consoles, desks, cabinets and other bases ($718 million); 8501 Electric motors and generators ($474 million); 8504 Electrical transformers, static converters and inductors ($451 million); 8536 Electrical apparatus for switching or protecting electrical ($424 million) |
| 90 Optical, photographic, measuring and medical instruments · shipping guide | $5.26 billion | 9.8% | 9018 Instruments and appliances used in medical, surgical ($1.86 billion); 9022 Apparatus based on the use of X-rays ($651 million); 9021 Orthopedic appliances, including crutches ($514 million); 9031 Measuring or checking instruments, appliances and machines ($502 million) |
| 88 Aircraft, spacecraft and parts thereof · shipping guide | $1.98 billion | 3.7% | 8802 Other aircraft ($1.50 billion); 8807 Parts of goods of heading 8801, 8802 or 8806 ($477 million) |
| 39 Plastics and articles of plastic · shipping guide | $1.03 billion | 1.9% | 3926 Other articles of plastics and articles ($275 million); 3920 Other plates, sheets, film, foil and strip, of plastics ($158 million); 3907 Polyacetals, other polyethers and epoxide resins ($141 million); 3921 Other plates, sheets, film, foil and strip, of plastics ($139 million) |
| 71 Pearls, precious stones, precious metals and jewelry · shipping guide | $912 million | 1.7% | 7110 Platinum, unwrought or in semimanufactured forms ($477 million); 7118 Coin ($159 million); 7112 Waste and scrap of precious metal ($123 million); 7108 Gold unwrought or in semimanufactured forms, or in powder form ($65.7 million) |
Each heading code links to its U.S. import market page, showing every origin's share and effective duty rate. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, International Trade API, U.S. imports for consumption by HS10 and country of origin, public domain (work of the u.s. federal government); method as in our tariff-rates research.
Container ports in Germany
Which port your cargo leaves from depends on where the factory is and which carrier service it books on. Send us the pickup address and we'll route it. Each port below links to a page with its UN/LOCODE, function classifiers and the lanes that serve it.
Look up any seaport's UN/LOCODE in the port code finder, or an airport's IATA/ICAO code in the airport code finder.
U.S. import duties on goods from Germany
- Base rate (HTS Column 1). Your product's HTS classification sets it; the shipping route does not. Germany has no free trade agreement with the United States, so the general rate applies.How FTA claims work.
- Section 301 (forced labor). Germany is reported in the 10% tier of the Section 301 forced-labor action (in force from 2026-07-24), subject to its general and economy-specific exemption lists. Confirm the exempt tariff lines with your broker before pricing.
- Section 232 (applies whatever the origin). Steel, aluminum and copper pay duty on full customs value in annex tiers of 50%, 25% and 15% since 2026-04-06. Vehicles and parts, lumber and furniture, trucks, semiconductors and drones fall under their own proclamations. Dated entries are on the tariff updates tracker.
- IEEPA and Section 122: no longer in force. The IEEPA tariffs ended on 2026-02-24 after the Supreme Court decision of 2026-02-20, with refunds ordered; the Section 122 surcharge that replaced them expired on 2026-07-24. Neither applies to entries filed now.
- Fees on top of duty. The merchandise processing fee (MPF) and, for ocean cargo, the harbor maintenance fee (HMF).
Estimate the total for your HTS code with Germany as origin in the tariff simulator. No code yet? Find it in the HTS code finder. The tariff facts above carry the dates shown on the tracker; confirm with your broker before you price.
U.S. import duty pages for goods from Germany
Worked duty pages for the highest-value tariff lines imported from Germany: the Column 1 rate, every Chapter 99 line and a $10,000 example.
- Immunological products
- Motor cars and other motor vehicles
- Airplanes and other aircraft
- Aircraft turbines
- Motor cars and other motor vehicles
- Motor cars and other motor vehicles
- Medicaments primarily affecting the eyes
- Motor cars and other motor vehicles
- Instruments and appliances
- Boards, panels, consoles, desks, cabinets
- Gear boxes
- Lifting, handling, loading or unloading machinery
13 more in this group. Rates are our tariff engine's total for a commercial entry today. Open a page for the duty lines behind a rate and how it changed by entry date, browse all import duty pages, or price your own shipment.
Transit time from Germany to the USA
Airlift has not published a planning range from Germany to the USA, so this page does not quote one. Ask for the current sailing when you request a quote, or search live sailings for any port pair.
Documents for shipping from Germany to the USA
In Germany, the EU export declaration is lodged electronically through the Automated Export System (AES) with the customs office of export before the goods leave the EU (European Commission — What is exportation); your forwarder or customs agent at origin files it. On the U.S. side, every ocean import needs the same documents, whatever the origin:
- Importer Security Filing (ISF, "10+2"). Required by CBP for cargo arriving by vessel, filed before the container is laden; Airlift files it in-house. Details · glossary · CBP — Importer Security Filing (10+2)
- Customs bond. A continuous or single-entry bond in the importer's name, arranged through the customs broker before the entry is filed. Details
- Commercial invoice. Seller, buyer, terms of sale, a full description and value per line, and the country of origin; the entry is built on it. Details
- Packing list. Marks, package count, weights and dimensions per package, matching the invoice and the bill of lading. · glossary
Airlift's customs clearance service covers document review, HTS classification support, ISF and entry coordination through our licensed broker network at the port of entry. Not enough cargo to fill a container? See LCL ocean freight.
Shipping from Germany to the USA: FAQs
In the Census sample for March–July 2026, U.S. imports for consumption from Germany totaled $66.6 billion. Among the 300 largest U.S. import headings, the biggest from Germany were machinery, mechanical appliances and computers; vehicles other than railway rolling stock; pharmaceutical products. The table on this page lists the headings with their values.
Other origin countries
See every origin by region in shipping to the USA by country of origin, or browse Airlift's shipping route guides.
Trade figures: U.S. Census Bureau, International Trade API, U.S. imports for consumption by HS10 and country of origin (March–July 2026, data pulled 2026-09-03), public domain (work of the u.s. federal government). Port codes: UNECE UN/LOCODE 2024-2. Tariff facts: the dated entries on the tariff updates tracker and the sources linked above. Reviewed September 2026.
Request a quote: shipping from Germany to the USA
Include the pickup city or load port in Germany, the U.S. destination and the commodity, plus either the package count with weights and dimensions or the container size and count. Add the cargo-ready date and say whether you need pickup at origin, U.S. delivery or customs clearance. We reply with the freight rate, destination charges and the services included.