Tariff monitor · Machinery & Equipment

Metal-Cutting Machine Tools: Statutory & Effective Tariff Rates

USITC Column 1 General rates for 59 metal-cutting machine tools HTS lines (parseable range 0%–5.8%). Effective rate Jun 2026: 12.22%; monthly history since 2020.

The short answer

  • The observed effective calculated-duty rate on U.S. imports of metal-cutting machine tools was 12.22% in Jun 2026, up from 11.36% a year earlier — USITC Calculated Duties divided by covered customs value. The Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–5.8% across 59 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. Japan is the largest source, holding 26.8% of 2025 imports.

Statutory rates from the schedule

  • Laser/EDM machines, machining centers, lathes, milling and drilling machines, and grinders — the machining capex base. This family covers HTS headings 8456, 8457, 8458, 8459, 8460, 8461: 59 eight-digit rate lines with a parseable Column 1 General range of 0%–5.8% in the 2026 schedule. “Free” means the official General field is literally Free for that line; it does not determine final entry liability.
  • Chapter 99 references on individual lines (for example, 9903.90.08) identify provisions to review; applicability and any additional duty depend on the entry facts.

Observed calculated-duty data

  • Latest month on record (2026-06): 12.22% effective on $366.0M of imports, versus 11.36% in the same month a year earlier. The monthly archive holds 78 observations from 2020-01 through 2026-06.
  • In 2025, U.S. imports for consumption in this family totaled $4.3B in customs value, with $410.1M in USITC reported calculated duty on $4.3B of covered customs value: an effective calculated-duty rate of 9.45%. 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 3.41%, so the observed rate rose 6.0 points.
  • Top source countries in 2025: Japan ($1.2B at 4.96%), Germany ($954.3M at 8.3%), South Korea ($472.3M at 7.95%), Italy ($326.2M at 9.56%), Taiwan ($259.4M at 13.07%).
  • Reported freight and insurance equaled 3.01% of covered customs value in 2025 ($116.5M total); charge coverage was 89.1% 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.
  • Customs unit value: 4219.3075 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 1% of the U.S. machinery industry's $448B gross output (2025, BEA).

Representative rate lines

  • 8456.11.10: For working metal · MFN 3.5%
  • 8456.11.70.00: Of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of printed circuits, printed circ · MFN Free
  • 8456.11.90.00: Other · MFN 2.4%
  • 8456.12.10: For working metal · MFN 3.5%
  • 8456.12.70.00: Of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of printed circuits, printed circ · MFN Free
  • 8456.12.90.00: Other · MFN 2.4%
  • 8456.20.10: For working metal · MFN 3.5%
  • 8456.20.50.00: Other · MFN 2.4%

Frequently asked questions

  • What is the U.S. tariff rate on metal-cutting machine tools? USITC calculated duties imply an effective rate of 12.22% in Jun 2026 (calculated duties ÷ covered customs value, USITC DataWeb). The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–5.8%; 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 metal-cutting machine tools? The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–5.8% across the family's 59 eight-digit HTS lines in the 2026 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (headings 8456, 8457, 8458, 8459, 8460, 8461). “Free” means the official General field is literally Free for a line; it does not determine final entry liability.
  • Which countries supply the most metal-cutting machine tools to the U.S.? Top retained sources in 2025: Japan ($1.2B at 4.96%), Germany ($954.3M at 8.3%), South Korea ($472.3M at 7.95%). Japan holds 26.8% of total family import customs value. Retained sources cover 89.1%; their HHI is 1470, a lower bound whose floor falls in the diversified range without classifying the omitted tail.
  • How much metal-cutting machine tools does the U.S. import? $4.3B of customs value in 2025, with $410.1M in USITC Calculated Duties — an effective calculated-duty rate of 9.45%.
  • Is the U.S. a net importer of metal-cutting machine tools? Yes — a net importer in 2025: $4.3B imported vs $1.0B exported (exports are 24% of imports).
  • What is the customs unit value of metal-cutting machine tools? $4,219/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.