What is the U.S. tariff rate on hand tools?

USITC calculated duties imply an effective rate of 21.82% in Jun 2026 (calculated duties ÷ covered customs value, USITC DataWeb). The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–12% (+4 see schedule); 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 hand tools?

The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–12% (+4 see schedule) across the family's 36 eight-digit HTS lines in the 2026 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (headings 8203, 8204, 8205). “Free” means the official General field is literally Free for a line; it does not determine final entry liability. 4 lines carry compound or specific duties flagged "see schedule".

Which countries supply the most hand tools to the U.S.?

Top retained sources in 2025: Taiwan ($808.4M at 16.7%), China ($731.8M at 49.69%), Vietnam ($297.3M at 17.37%). Taiwan holds 30% of total family import customs value. Retained sources cover 89.4%; their HHI is 1840, a lower bound whose floor falls in the moderately concentrated range without classifying the omitted tail.

How much hand tools does the U.S. import?

$2.7B of customs value in 2025, with $668.5M in USITC Calculated Duties — an effective calculated-duty rate of 24.8%.

Is the U.S. a net importer of hand tools?

Yes — a net importer in 2025: $2.7B imported vs $513.1M exported (exports are 19% of imports).

Tariff monitor · Tooling & Hand Tools

Hand Tools: Statutory & Effective Tariff Rates

USITC Column 1 General rates for 36 hand tools HTS lines (parseable range 0%–12% (+4 see schedule)). Effective rate Jun 2026: 21.82%; monthly history since 2014.

The short answer

The observed effective calculated-duty rate on U.S. imports of hand tools was 21.82% in Jun 2026, down from 22.31% a year earlier — USITC Calculated Duties divided by covered customs value. The Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–12% (+4 see schedule) across 36 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. Taiwan is the largest source, holding 30% of 2025 imports.

Statutory rates from the schedule

Files, pliers, snips, wrenches, and other hand tools on every bench and in every toolbox. This family covers HTS headings 8203, 8204, 8205: 36 eight-digit rate lines with a parseable Column 1 General range of 0%–12% (+4 see schedule) in the 2026 schedule. “Free” means the official General field is literally Free for that line; it does not determine final entry liability.
4 lines carry compound or specific duties that cannot be stated as a single percentage; this page flags them "see schedule" rather than approximating.

Observed calculated-duty data

Latest month on record (2026-06): 21.82% effective on $224.3M of imports, versus 22.31% in the same month a year earlier. The monthly archive holds 150 observations from 2014-01 through 2026-06.
In 2025, U.S. imports for consumption in this family totaled $2.7B in customs value, with $668.5M in USITC reported calculated duty on $2.7B of covered customs value: an effective calculated-duty rate of 24.8%. 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 13.48%, so the observed rate rose 11.3 points.
Top source countries in 2025: Taiwan ($808.4M at 16.7%), China ($731.8M at 49.69%), Vietnam ($297.3M at 17.37%), India ($144.9M at 22.3%), Germany ($137.2M at 13.52%).
Reported freight and insurance equaled 4.64% of covered customs value in 2025 ($111.8M total); charge coverage was 89.4% 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 0.6% of the U.S. fabricated metal products industry's $468B gross output (2025, BEA).

Representative rate lines

8203.10.30.00: Not over 11 cm in length · MFN Free
8203.10.60.00: Over 11 cm but not over 17 cm in length · MFN Free
8203.10.90.00: Over 17 cm in length · MFN Free
8203.20.20.00: Tweezers · MFN 4%
8203.20.40.00: Slip joint pliers · MFN 12%
8203.20.60: Other (except parts) · MFN see schedule
8203.20.80.00: Parts · MFN 4.5%
8203.30.00.00: Metal cutting shears and similar tools, and parts thereof · MFN Free

Frequently asked questions

What is the U.S. tariff rate on hand tools? USITC calculated duties imply an effective rate of 21.82% in Jun 2026 (calculated duties ÷ covered customs value, USITC DataWeb). The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–12% (+4 see schedule); 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 hand tools? The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–12% (+4 see schedule) across the family's 36 eight-digit HTS lines in the 2026 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (headings 8203, 8204, 8205). “Free” means the official General field is literally Free for a line; it does not determine final entry liability. 4 lines carry compound or specific duties flagged "see schedule".
Which countries supply the most hand tools to the U.S.? Top retained sources in 2025: Taiwan ($808.4M at 16.7%), China ($731.8M at 49.69%), Vietnam ($297.3M at 17.37%). Taiwan holds 30% of total family import customs value. Retained sources cover 89.4%; their HHI is 1840, a lower bound whose floor falls in the moderately concentrated range without classifying the omitted tail.
How much hand tools does the U.S. import? $2.7B of customs value in 2025, with $668.5M in USITC Calculated Duties — an effective calculated-duty rate of 24.8%.
Is the U.S. a net importer of hand tools? Yes — a net importer in 2025: $2.7B imported vs $513.1M exported (exports are 19% 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.