Tariff monitor · Electrical & Wiring
Capacitors, Resistors, and Circuit Boards: Statutory & Effective Tariff Rates
Statutory HTS duty rates for 19 capacitors, resistors, and circuit boards tariff lines (MFN Free), from USITC. Effective rate May 2026: 13.59%; monthly history since
The short answer
- The effective U.S. tariff on capacitors, resistors, and circuit boards was 13.59% in May 2026, down from 19.45% a year earlier — calculated duties actually paid divided by customs value, from USITC data. The statutory MFN rate is Free across 19 HTS lines in the 2026 schedule. Taiwan is the largest source, holding 19.3% of 2025 imports.
Statutory rates from the schedule
- Capacitors, resistors, and bare printed circuit boards — the passive components and substrates behind every electronic assembly. This family covers HTS headings 8532, 8533, 8534: 19 eight-digit rate lines with MFN (column 1, general) rates of Free in the 2026 schedule.
- Chapter 99 flags on individual lines mark Section 301/232 overlay provisions (e.g. 9903.88.01) that apply on top of the MFN column.
What importers actually paid
- Latest month on record (2026-05): 13.59% effective on $478.5M of imports, versus 19.45% 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 $5.6B in customs value and paid $854.7M in calculated duties: an effective tariff rate of 15.36%. 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 4%, so the duty burden rose 11.4 points.
- Top source countries in 2025: Taiwan ($1.1B at 8.4%), China ($1.0B at 47.32%), Japan ($979.2M at 8.14%), Mexico ($438.9M at 1.86%), Thailand ($269.1M at 9.99%).
- For scale, 2025 imports in this family equal 1.3% of the U.S. computer and electronic products industry's $434B gross output (2025, BEA).
Representative rate lines
- 8532.10.00.00: Fixed capacitors designed for use in 50/60 Hz circuits and having a reactive powe · MFN Free
- 8532.21.00: Tantalum · MFN Free
- 8532.22.00: Aluminum electrolytic · MFN Free
- 8532.23.00: Ceramic dielectric, single layer · MFN Free
- 8532.24.00: Ceramic dielectric, multilayer · MFN Free
- 8532.25.00: Dielectric of paper or plastics · MFN Free
- 8532.29.00: Other · MFN Free
- 8532.30.00: Variable or adjustable (pre-set) capacitors · MFN Free
Frequently asked questions
- What is the U.S. tariff rate on capacitors, resistors, and circuit boards? Importers paid an effective rate of 13.59% in May 2026 (calculated duties ÷ customs value, USITC DataWeb). The statutory MFN rate is Free; Section 301/232 overlays and special programs explain the difference.
- What is the statutory MFN duty rate for capacitors, resistors, and circuit boards? Free across the family's 19 eight-digit HTS lines in the 2026 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (headings 8532, 8533, 8534).
- Which countries supply the most capacitors, resistors, and circuit boards to the U.S.? Top sources in 2025: Taiwan ($1.1B at 8.4%), China ($1.0B at 47.32%), Japan ($979.2M at 8.14%). Sourcing is diversified: Taiwan holds 19.3% of imports.
- How much capacitors, resistors, and circuit boards does the U.S. import? $5.6B of customs value in 2025, paying $854.7M in calculated duties — an effective tariff of 15.36%.
- Is the U.S. a net importer of capacitors, resistors, and circuit boards? Yes — a net importer in 2025: $5.6B imported vs $1.8B exported (exports are 32% 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.