Tariff monitor · Instruments & Inspection

Optical Elements and Lenses: Statutory & Effective Tariff Rates

Statutory HTS duty rates for 21 optical elements and lenses tariff lines (MFN Free–6.7%), from USITC. Effective rate May 2026: 13.15%; monthly history since 2014.

The short answer

  • The effective U.S. tariff on optical elements and lenses was 13.15% in May 2026, down from 14.66% a year earlier — calculated duties actually paid divided by customs value, from USITC data. The statutory MFN rate is Free–6.7% across 21 HTS lines in the 2026 schedule. 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 MFN (column 1, general) rates of Free–6.7% in the 2026 schedule.
  • Chapter 99 flags on individual lines mark Section 301/232 overlay provisions (e.g. 9903.88.02) that apply on top of the MFN column.

What importers actually paid

  • Latest month on record (2026-05): 13.15% effective on $421.7M of imports, versus 14.66% in the same month a year earlier. The monthly archive holds 149 observations from 2014-01 through 2026-05.
  • In 2025, U.S. imports for consumption in this family totaled $4.4B in customs value and paid $566.2M in calculated duties: an effective tariff rate of 12.98%. The effective rate captures Section 301/232 overlays, exclusions, and special-program use that the statutory column cannot.
  • A year earlier the effective rate was 3.33%, so the duty burden 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%).

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? Importers paid an effective rate of 13.15% in May 2026 (calculated duties ÷ customs value, USITC DataWeb). The statutory MFN rate is Free–6.7%; Section 301/232 overlays and special programs explain the difference.
  • What is the statutory MFN duty rate for optical elements and lenses? Free–6.7% across the family's 21 eight-digit HTS lines in the 2026 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (headings 9001, 9002).
  • Which countries supply the most optical elements and lenses to the U.S.? Top sources in 2025: Japan ($729.0M at 9.76%), Mexico ($534.0M at 3.7%), Germany ($515.3M at 9.82%). Sourcing is diversified: Japan holds 16.7% of imports.
  • How much optical elements and lenses does the U.S. import? $4.4B of customs value in 2025, paying $566.2M in calculated duties — an effective tariff 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; verify rates with a licensed customs broker before relying on them.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.