What is the U.S. tariff rate on electric motors and generators?

USITC calculated duties imply an effective rate of 12.04% in Jun 2026 (calculated duties ÷ covered customs value, USITC DataWeb). The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–6.7%; individual lines are called “Free” only when the official General field is literally Free, and product, origin, preference and tariff mix can contribute to the observed-rate difference.

What are the statutory MFN line rates for electric motors and generators?

The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–6.7% across the family's 55 eight-digit HTS lines in the 2026 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (headings 8501, 8503). “Free” means the official General field is literally Free for a line; it does not determine final entry liability.

Which countries supply the most electric motors and generators to the U.S.?

Top retained sources in 2025: Mexico ($5.0B at 3.71%), Japan ($2.2B at 16.08%), China ($1.8B at 47.06%). Mexico holds 29% of total family import customs value. Retained sources cover 80.1%; their HHI is 1260, a lower bound whose floor falls in the diversified range without classifying the omitted tail.

How much electric motors and generators does the U.S. import?

$17.3B of customs value in 2025, with $2.4B in USITC Calculated Duties — an effective calculated-duty rate of 13.73%.

Is the U.S. a net importer of electric motors and generators?

Yes — a net importer in 2025: $17.3B imported vs $3.4B exported (exports are 20% of imports).

Tariff monitor · Electrical & Wiring

Electric Motors and Generators: Statutory & Effective Tariff Rates

USITC Column 1 General rates for 55 electric motors and generators HTS lines (parseable range 0%–6.7%). Effective rate Jun 2026: 12.04%; monthly history since 2023.

The short answer

The observed effective calculated-duty rate on U.S. imports of electric motors and generators was 12.04% in Jun 2026, down from 12.12% a year earlier — USITC Calculated Duties divided by covered customs value. The Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–6.7% across 55 HTS lines in the 2026 schedule; individual lines are called “Free” only when the official General field is literally Free, which still does not determine a shipment’s final duty. Mexico is the largest source, holding 29% of 2025 imports.

Statutory rates from the schedule

AC and DC motors, generators, and their parts, fractional to industrial frame sizes. This family covers HTS headings 8501, 8503: 55 eight-digit rate lines with a parseable Column 1 General range of 0%–6.7% in the 2026 schedule. “Free” means the official General field is literally Free for that line; it does not determine final entry liability.

Observed calculated-duty data

Latest month on record (2026-06): 12.04% effective on $1.6B of imports, versus 12.12% in the same month a year earlier. The monthly archive holds 42 observations from 2023-01 through 2026-06.
In 2025, U.S. imports for consumption in this family totaled $17.3B in customs value, with $2.4B in USITC reported calculated duty on $17.3B of covered customs value: an effective calculated-duty rate of 13.73%. The aggregate reflects the recorded entry mix but does not attribute the result to a specific legal provision.
A year earlier the effective calculated-duty rate was 4.17%, so the observed rate rose 9.6 points.
Top source countries in 2025: Mexico ($5.0B at 3.71%), Japan ($2.2B at 16.08%), China ($1.8B at 47.06%), Germany ($1.6B at 11.38%), Vietnam ($741.1M at 12.41%).
Reported freight and insurance equaled 2.68% of covered customs value in 2025 ($370.0M total); charge coverage was 80.1% of customs value, from USITC DataWeb. It is shown alongside the effective calculated-duty rate and is not part of the customs-value duty base.
For scale, 2025 imports in this family equal 8.5% of the U.S. electrical equipment and appliances industry's $202B gross output (2025, BEA).

Representative rate lines

8501.10.20.00: Synchronous, valued not over $4 each · MFN 6.7%
8501.10.40: Other · MFN 4.4%
8501.10.60: Of 18.65 W or more but not exceeding 37.5 W · MFN 2.8%
8501.20.20.00: Exceeding 37.5 W but not exceeding 74.6 W · MFN 3.3%
8501.20.40.00: Exceeding 74.6 W but not exceeding 735 W · MFN 4%
8501.20.50.00: Exceeding 735 W but under 746 W · MFN 3.3%
8501.20.60.00: Other · MFN 2.4%
8501.31.20.00: Exceeding 37.5 W but not exceeding 74.6 W · MFN 2.8%

Frequently asked questions

What is the U.S. tariff rate on electric motors and generators? USITC calculated duties imply an effective rate of 12.04% in Jun 2026 (calculated duties ÷ covered customs value, USITC DataWeb). The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–6.7%; individual lines are called “Free” only when the official General field is literally Free, and product, origin, preference and tariff mix can contribute to the observed-rate difference.
What are the statutory MFN line rates for electric motors and generators? The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–6.7% across the family's 55 eight-digit HTS lines in the 2026 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (headings 8501, 8503). “Free” means the official General field is literally Free for a line; it does not determine final entry liability.
Which countries supply the most electric motors and generators to the U.S.? Top retained sources in 2025: Mexico ($5.0B at 3.71%), Japan ($2.2B at 16.08%), China ($1.8B at 47.06%). Mexico holds 29% of total family import customs value. Retained sources cover 80.1%; their HHI is 1260, a lower bound whose floor falls in the diversified range without classifying the omitted tail.
How much electric motors and generators does the U.S. import? $17.3B of customs value in 2025, with $2.4B in USITC Calculated Duties — an effective calculated-duty rate of 13.73%.
Is the U.S. a net importer of electric motors and generators? Yes — a net importer in 2025: $17.3B imported vs $3.4B exported (exports are 20% of imports).

About this data

Reference statistics derived from USITC published data. Not a customs ruling. MFN-Free and Special-rate fields describe statutory line coverage only; final entry liability requires origin, date, eligibility, exclusions and other transaction facts. Calculated Duties are statistical estimates, not a cash-collections ledger. Confirm classification, origin, program eligibility, and final entry liability with a licensed customs broker.

Last reviewed 2026-08-31.