HTS Heading 8538

Parts suitable for use solely or principally with the apparatus of heading 8535, 8536 or 8537

All 9 HTS codes under heading 8538 (parts suitable for use solely), with their duty rates from the 2026 HTS Revision 23. General duty Free to 3.5%.

Every line of heading 8538

  • 8538 Parts suitable for use solely or principally with the apparatus of heading 8535, 8536 or 8537.
  • 8538.10.00.00 Boards, panels, consoles, desks, cabinets and other bases for the goods of heading 8537, not equipped with their apparatus (No.): General Free; Special none; Column 2 35%.
  • 8538.90 Other (under: Parts suitable for use solely or principally with the apparatus of heading 8535, 8536 or 8537).
  • 8538.90.10.00 Of an article of heading 8537 for one of the articles described in additional U.S. note 11 to chapter 85 (No.): General Free; Special none; Column 2 35%.
  • 8538.90.30.00 Other (under: Printed circuit assemblies) (No.): General 3.5%; Special Free (A*,AU,B,BH,CL,CO,D,E,IL,JO,JP,KR,MA,OM,P,PA,PE,S,SG); Column 2 35%.
  • 8538.90.40.00 Other, for the articles of subheading 8535.90.40, 8536.30.40 or 8536.50.40, of ceramic or metallic materials, electrically or mechanically reactive to changes in temperature (No.): General 3.5%; Special Free (A*,AU,B,BH,CL,CO,D,E,IL,JO,KR,MA,OM,P,PA,PE,S,SG); Column 2 35%.
  • 8538.90.60.00 Molded parts (under: Other) (kg): General 3.5%; Special Free (A*,AU,B,BH,CL,CO,D,E,IL,JO,JP,KR,MA,OM,P,PA,PE,S,SG); Column 2 35%.
  • 8538.90.81 Other (under: Other): General 3.5%; Special Free (A*,AU,B,BH,CL,CO,D,E,IL,JO,JP,KR,MA,OM,P,PA,PE,S,SG); Column 2 35%.
  • 8538.90.81.20 Of automatic circuit breakers (No.).
  • 8538.90.81.40 Metal contacts (under: Other) (kg).
  • 8538.90.81.60 Other parts of switchgear, switchboards, panel boards and distribution boards (No.).
  • 8538.90.81.80 Other (under: Other) (No.).

From MFG Calcs data: Switchgear, connectors, and controls

U.S. imports of switchgear, connectors, and controls (headings 8535, 8536, 8537, 8538) came to $42.13B in 2025, with $4.72B in calculated duty: an effective duty of 11.2%, every duty included.

Effective duty in Sep 2026: 10.2%, against 14.4% in Sep 2025.

Largest sources in 2025: Mexico $15.68B at 3.7% effective duty; China $3.54B at 50.9% effective duty; Canada $2.75B at 3.1% effective duty; Germany $2.60B at 10.9% effective duty; Japan $1.75B at 10.4% effective duty.

These are family totals from U.S. import statistics published through USITC DataWeb, not this heading's rate alone; effective duty is calculated duty as a share of customs value, an estimate, not a ruling.

About these rates

The rates are those printed in the 2026 HTS Revision 23, published by the U.S. International Trade Commission. A 10-digit statistical line takes the rates printed on the 8-digit line above it. Chapter 99 duties (Section 232, Section 301, IEEPA) depend on the product, the origin and the date, are charged on top, and are not included. A code here is a strong lead, not a ruling: confirm it with a customs broker or a CBP binding ruling.

Last reviewed 2026-11-12.