What is the U.S. tariff rate on lifting and handling equipment?

USITC calculated duties imply an effective rate of 18.24% in Jun 2026 (calculated duties ÷ covered customs value, USITC DataWeb). The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%; 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 lifting and handling equipment?

The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0% across the family's 15 eight-digit HTS lines in the 2026 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (headings 8427, 8428). “Free” means the official General field is literally Free for a line; it does not determine final entry liability.

Which countries supply the most lifting and handling equipment to the U.S.?

Top retained sources in 2025: Mexico ($2.3B at 4.22%), Japan ($1.9B at 14.24%), Canada ($1.5B at 1.8%). Mexico holds 16.6% of total family import customs value. Retained sources cover 86%; their HHI is 930, a lower bound whose floor falls in the diversified range without classifying the omitted tail.

How much lifting and handling equipment does the U.S. import?

$13.8B of customs value in 2025, with $1.6B in USITC Calculated Duties — an effective calculated-duty rate of 11.37%.

Is the U.S. a net importer of lifting and handling equipment?

Yes — a net importer in 2025: $13.8B imported vs $4.2B exported (exports are 31% of imports).

What is the customs unit value of lifting and handling equipment?

$841.5/unit in 2025, derived as customs value ÷ reported quantity from USITC DataWeb. It is an aggregate across the family's product and origin mix, not a transaction price or supplier quote.

Tariff monitor · Machinery & Equipment

Lifting and Handling Equipment: Statutory & Effective Tariff Rates

USITC Column 1 General rates for 15 lifting and handling equipment HTS lines (parseable range 0%). Effective rate Jun 2026: 18.24%; monthly history since 2023.

The short answer

The observed effective calculated-duty rate on U.S. imports of lifting and handling equipment was 18.24% in Jun 2026, up from 9% a year earlier — USITC Calculated Duties divided by covered customs value. The Column 1 General line-rate range is 0% across 15 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 16.6% of 2025 imports.

Statutory rates from the schedule

Forklifts, hoists, conveyors, and other material-handling machinery. This family covers HTS headings 8427, 8428: 15 eight-digit rate lines with a parseable Column 1 General range of 0% 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): 18.24% effective on $1.2B of imports, versus 9% 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 $13.8B in customs value, with $1.6B in USITC reported calculated duty on $13.8B of covered customs value: an effective calculated-duty rate of 11.37%. 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 1.77%, so the observed rate rose 9.6 points.
Top source countries in 2025: Mexico ($2.3B at 4.22%), Japan ($1.9B at 14.24%), Canada ($1.5B at 1.8%), Germany ($1.4B at 12.52%), South Korea ($1.3B at 6.88%).
Reported freight and insurance equaled 2.98% of covered customs value in 2025 ($353.3M total); charge coverage was 86% 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.
Customs unit value: 841.4936 per unit in 2025, aggregate declared customs value divided by reported quantity across eligible single-unit lines (USITC DataWeb); not a transaction price.
For scale, 2025 imports in this family equal 3.1% of the U.S. machinery industry's $448B gross output (2025, BEA).

Representative rate lines

8427.10.40: Rider-type, counterbalanced fork-lift trucks · MFN Free
8427.10.80: Other · MFN Free
8427.20.40.00: Rider-type, counterbalanced fork-lift trucks · MFN Free
8427.20.80: Other · MFN Free
8427.90.00: Other trucks · MFN Free
8428.10.00.00: Passenger or freight elevators other than continuous action; skip hoists · MFN Free
8428.20.00: Pneumatic elevators and conveyors · MFN Free
8428.31.00.00: Specially designed for underground use · MFN Free

Frequently asked questions

What is the U.S. tariff rate on lifting and handling equipment? USITC calculated duties imply an effective rate of 18.24% in Jun 2026 (calculated duties ÷ covered customs value, USITC DataWeb). The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%; 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 lifting and handling equipment? The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0% across the family's 15 eight-digit HTS lines in the 2026 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (headings 8427, 8428). “Free” means the official General field is literally Free for a line; it does not determine final entry liability.
Which countries supply the most lifting and handling equipment to the U.S.? Top retained sources in 2025: Mexico ($2.3B at 4.22%), Japan ($1.9B at 14.24%), Canada ($1.5B at 1.8%). Mexico holds 16.6% of total family import customs value. Retained sources cover 86%; their HHI is 930, a lower bound whose floor falls in the diversified range without classifying the omitted tail.
How much lifting and handling equipment does the U.S. import? $13.8B of customs value in 2025, with $1.6B in USITC Calculated Duties — an effective calculated-duty rate of 11.37%.
Is the U.S. a net importer of lifting and handling equipment? Yes — a net importer in 2025: $13.8B imported vs $4.2B exported (exports are 31% of imports).
What is the customs unit value of lifting and handling equipment? $841.5/unit in 2025, derived as customs value ÷ reported quantity from USITC DataWeb. It is an aggregate across the family's product and origin mix, not a transaction price or supplier quote.

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.