Importing Electronics from China to USA: Duties & HTS Codes 2026
US duty on Chinese electronics ranges from 0% to 62.5% in 2026. Laptops and phones are duty-free (List 4B suspended, exempt from the forced-labor tariff); chips pay 50%; PCBs, cameras and batteries pay 25% Section 301 plus the 12.5% forced-labor tariff. Vietnam and Malaysia avoid the Section 301 part.
Section 301 has no scheduled expiry. The Section 122 surcharge ended on 24 July 2026, but the 12.5% forced-labor tariff replaced it. Components and accessories from China still pay 25–62.5%; the same parts from Vietnam or Malaysia pay 10–12.5%.
China Electronics — US Import Duty Table 2026
| Product | HTS | MFN | §301 | Forced-labor | 2026 Total | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smartphones & mobile phones | 8517.13 | 0% | 0% | Exempt | 0% | Not on a §301 list; exempt from the forced-labor tariff |
| Laptops & notebook computers | 8471.30 | 0% | 0% | Exempt | 0% | List 4B suspended; exempt from the forced-labor tariff |
| Tablet computers | 8471.41 | 0% | 7.5% | Exempt | 7.5% | List 4A 7.5%; exempt from the forced-labor tariff |
| LCD/LED televisions (>85cm) | 8528.72 | 5% | 7.5% | 12.5% | 25% | List 4A 7.5% + 12.5% forced-labor |
| Integrated circuits / chips | 8542.31 | 0% | 50% | Exempt | 50% | Four-year review raised chips to 50% (2025); exempt from the 12.5% |
| Printed circuit boards (PCBs) | 8534.00 | 0% | 25% | 12.5% | 37.5% | List 3 25% + 12.5% forced-labor |
| Lithium-ion batteries | 8507.60 | 3.4% | 25% | 12.5% | 40.9% | 25% since the four-year review (2026) + 12.5% |
| Wireless headphones / earbuds | 8518.30.20 | Free | 0% | 12.5% | 12.5% | List 4B suspended; 12.5% forced-labor applies |
| Surveillance cameras (IP) | 8525.89 | Free | 25% | 12.5% | 37.5% | Chinese cameras face additional scrutiny (NDAA) |
| Power banks | 8507.80 | 3.4% | 25% | 12.5% | 40.9% | Classified under li-ion battery subheadings |
| Solar panels (crystalline Si) | 8541.43 | Free | 50% | 12.5% | 62.5% | 50% four-year-review rate + 12.5%; rises to 77.5% on 4 Dec 2026 (+15% Section 232); AD/CVD orders also apply |
MPF (0.3464%, min $34.58, max $670.86) applies per formal entry. Anti-dumping and countervailing duties may apply to specific products.
China vs. Alternative Origins — Printed Circuit Boards (8534.00)
| Origin | §301 | MFN | Forced-labor | Total | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 25% | 0% | 12.5% | 37.5% | List 3 25% + 12.5% forced-labor |
| Vietnam | 0% | 0% | 12.5% | 12.5% | No China list; 12.5% forced-labor tier |
| Malaysia | 0% | 0% | 10% | 10% | 10% tier; Penang semiconductor hub |
| Taiwan | 0% | 0% | 10% | 10% | 10% combined floor; TSMC/MediaTek supply chain |
| Philippines | 0% | 0% | 12.5% | 12.5% | 12.5% forced-labor tier |
| South Korea | 0% | 0% | 12.5% | 12.5% | 12.5% combined floor; KORUS doesn't waive it |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the import duty on electronics from China in 2026?
It depends heavily on the product. Chinese electronics can pay three layers: (1) MFN duty, 0% for most IT products under the WTO Information Technology Agreement; (2) the Section 301 list rate — 25% on Lists 1–3 (PCBs, cameras, batteries, chargers), 7.5% on List 4A (tablets, TVs), 0% on the suspended List 4B (laptops, most headphones), 50% on chips and solar; (3) the 12.5% forced-labor tariff since 24 July 2026 — but computers, smartphones, network gear and chips are exempt from it. So laptops and phones pay 0%, chips 50%, PCBs 37.5% and Li-ion batteries 40.9%.
Does the WTO Information Technology Agreement (ITA) eliminate duty on Chinese electronics?
The ITA removes the MFN duty on covered electronics (chips, computers, PCBs, telecom equipment), but it does nothing about Section 301, which is a separate US measure against Chinese goods. What saves most IT hardware in 2026 is different: HTSUS U.S. note 52 exempts computers, phones, network equipment and semiconductors from the 12.5% forced-labor tariff, and many of them sit on the suspended List 4B. PCBs, batteries and cameras still pay 25% + 12.5%.
Which country is cheapest to import electronics from to the US?
For laptops, phones and chips, origin barely matters any more — they are duty-free from almost everywhere except chips from China (50%). The gap is in components and accessories: PCBs pay 37.5% from China, 12.5% from Vietnam, the Philippines or Korea, and 10% from Malaysia or Taiwan. Batteries: 40.9% from China vs 15.9% from Vietnam. Vietnam is the largest alternative assembly hub; Malaysia and Taiwan are cheapest on components.
Are surveillance cameras from China subject to additional restrictions beyond tariffs?
Yes. Beyond 37.5% in tariffs (List 3 plus the forced-labor tariff), Chinese surveillance cameras face non-tariff restrictions. Section 889 of the FY2019 NDAA bars US federal agencies from buying Huawei, Hikvision, Dahua and Hytera equipment and bars federal contractors from using it, and the FCC has stopped authorizing new equipment from those firms. Several states have similar procurement bans.
What replaced the Section 122 surcharge for Chinese electronics?
Section 122 expired on 24 July 2026 and the forced-labor Section 301 tariff replaced it the same day: 12.5% on Chinese goods. Unlike Section 122, it exempts computers, phones, network gear and chips, so those got cheaper (laptops went from 10% to 0%). PCBs, batteries, cameras and TVs went up 2.5 points.
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