What is the U.S. tariff rate on optical elements and lenses?

USITC calculated duties imply an effective rate of 12.82% 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 optical elements and lenses?

The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–6.7% across the family's 21 eight-digit HTS lines in the 2026 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (headings 9001, 9002). “Free” means the official General field is literally Free for a line; it does not determine final entry liability.

Which countries supply the most optical elements and lenses to the U.S.?

Top retained sources in 2025: Japan ($729.0M at 9.76%), Mexico ($534.0M at 3.7%), Germany ($515.3M at 9.82%). Japan holds 16.7% of total family import customs value. Retained sources cover 77.3%; their HHI is 810, a lower bound whose floor falls in the diversified range without classifying the omitted tail.

How much optical elements and lenses does the U.S. import?

$4.4B of customs value in 2025, with $566.2M in USITC Calculated Duties — an effective calculated-duty rate of 12.98%.

Is the U.S. a net importer of optical elements and lenses?

Yes — a net importer in 2025: $4.4B imported vs $1.9B exported (exports are 42% of imports).

Tariff monitor · Instruments & Inspection

Optical Elements and Lenses: Statutory & Effective Tariff Rates

USITC Column 1 General rates for 21 optical elements and lenses HTS lines (parseable range 0%–6.7%). Effective rate Jun 2026: 12.82%; monthly history since 2014.

The short answer

The observed effective calculated-duty rate on U.S. imports of optical elements and lenses was 12.82% in Jun 2026, down from 13.83% a year earlier — USITC Calculated Duties divided by covered customs value. The Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–6.7% across 21 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 16.7% of 2025 imports.

Statutory rates from the schedule

Lenses, prisms, mirrors, and optical fiber — mounted and unmounted optics for sensors, machine vision, and instruments. This family covers HTS headings 9001, 9002: 21 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): 12.82% effective on $424.9M of imports, versus 13.83% 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 $4.4B in customs value, with $566.2M in USITC reported calculated duty on $4.4B of covered customs value: an effective calculated-duty rate of 12.98%. 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 3.33%, so the observed rate rose 9.7 points.
Top source countries in 2025: Japan ($729.0M at 9.76%), Mexico ($534.0M at 3.7%), Germany ($515.3M at 9.82%), China ($371.8M at 47.96%), Ireland ($366.8M at 9.86%).
Reported freight and insurance equaled 2.45% of covered customs value in 2025 ($82.6M total); charge coverage was 77.3% 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.

Representative rate lines

9001.10.00: Optical fibers, optical fiber bundles and cables · MFN 6.7%
9001.20.00.00: Sheets and plates of polarizing material · MFN Free
9001.30.00.00: Contact lenses · MFN 2%
9001.40.00.00: Spectacle lenses of glass · MFN 2%
9001.50.00.00: Spectacle lenses of other materials · MFN 2%
9001.90.40.00: Lenses · MFN Free
9001.90.50.00: Prisms · MFN Free
9001.90.60.00: Mirrors · MFN Free

Frequently asked questions

What is the U.S. tariff rate on optical elements and lenses? USITC calculated duties imply an effective rate of 12.82% 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 optical elements and lenses? The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–6.7% across the family's 21 eight-digit HTS lines in the 2026 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (headings 9001, 9002). “Free” means the official General field is literally Free for a line; it does not determine final entry liability.
Which countries supply the most optical elements and lenses to the U.S.? Top retained sources in 2025: Japan ($729.0M at 9.76%), Mexico ($534.0M at 3.7%), Germany ($515.3M at 9.82%). Japan holds 16.7% of total family import customs value. Retained sources cover 77.3%; their HHI is 810, a lower bound whose floor falls in the diversified range without classifying the omitted tail.
How much optical elements and lenses does the U.S. import? $4.4B of customs value in 2025, with $566.2M in USITC Calculated Duties — an effective calculated-duty rate of 12.98%.
Is the U.S. a net importer of optical elements and lenses? Yes — a net importer in 2025: $4.4B imported vs $1.9B exported (exports are 42% 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.