What is the U.S. tariff rate on plastic semi-finished products?

USITC calculated duties imply an effective rate of 9.72% in Jun 2026 (calculated duties ÷ covered customs value, USITC DataWeb). The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–6.5%; 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 plastic semi-finished products?

The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–6.5% across the family's 65 eight-digit HTS lines in the 2026 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (headings 3916, 3917, 3920, 3921). “Free” means the official General field is literally Free for a line; it does not determine final entry liability.

Which countries supply the most plastic semi-finished products to the U.S.?

Top retained sources in 2025: Canada ($3.0B at 0.33%), Mexico ($1.7B at 1.01%), China ($983.5M at 47.42%). Canada holds 22.9% of total family import customs value. Retained sources cover 73.6%; their HHI is 900, a lower bound whose floor falls in the diversified range without classifying the omitted tail.

How much plastic semi-finished products does the U.S. import?

$13.2B of customs value in 2025, with $1.3B in USITC Calculated Duties — an effective calculated-duty rate of 9.84%.

Is the U.S. a net importer of plastic semi-finished products?

Yes — a net importer in 2025: $13.2B imported vs $9.6B exported (exports are 73% of imports).

Tariff monitor · Plastics & Polymers

Plastic Semi-Finished Products: Statutory & Effective Tariff Rates

USITC Column 1 General rates for 65 plastic semi-finished products HTS lines (parseable range 0%–6.5%). Effective rate Jun 2026: 9.72%; monthly history since 2014.

The short answer

The observed effective calculated-duty rate on U.S. imports of plastic semi-finished products was 9.72% in Jun 2026, down from 10.46% a year earlier — USITC Calculated Duties divided by covered customs value. The Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–6.5% across 65 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. Canada is the largest source, holding 22.9% of 2025 imports.

Statutory rates from the schedule

Plastic profiles, tubes, plate, sheet, and film — machining and thermoforming stock. This family covers HTS headings 3916, 3917, 3920, 3921: 65 eight-digit rate lines with a parseable Column 1 General range of 0%–6.5% 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): 9.72% effective on $1.3B of imports, versus 10.46% 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 $13.2B in customs value, with $1.3B in USITC reported calculated duty on $13.2B of covered customs value: an effective calculated-duty rate of 9.84%. 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 4.12%, so the observed rate rose 5.7 points.
Top source countries in 2025: Canada ($3.0B at 0.33%), Mexico ($1.7B at 1.01%), China ($983.5M at 47.42%), Germany ($927.7M at 11.45%), South Korea ($850.5M at 8.5%).
Reported freight and insurance equaled 6.07% of covered customs value in 2025 ($587.9M total); charge coverage was 73.6% 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.
For scale, 2025 imports in this family equal 4.4% of the U.S. plastics and rubber products industry's $299B gross output (2025, BEA).

Representative rate lines

3916.10.00.00: Of polymers of ethylene · MFN 5.8%
3916.20.00: Of polymers of vinyl chloride · MFN 5.8%
3916.90.10.00: Of acrylic polymers · MFN 6.5%
3916.90.20.00: Racket strings · MFN 3.1%
3916.90.30.00: Monofilament · MFN 6.5%
3916.90.50.00: Other · MFN 5.8%
3917.10.10.00: Of cellulosic plastics materials · MFN 6.5%
3917.10.60.00: Of collagen · MFN Free

Frequently asked questions

What is the U.S. tariff rate on plastic semi-finished products? USITC calculated duties imply an effective rate of 9.72% in Jun 2026 (calculated duties ÷ covered customs value, USITC DataWeb). The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–6.5%; 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 plastic semi-finished products? The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–6.5% across the family's 65 eight-digit HTS lines in the 2026 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (headings 3916, 3917, 3920, 3921). “Free” means the official General field is literally Free for a line; it does not determine final entry liability.
Which countries supply the most plastic semi-finished products to the U.S.? Top retained sources in 2025: Canada ($3.0B at 0.33%), Mexico ($1.7B at 1.01%), China ($983.5M at 47.42%). Canada holds 22.9% of total family import customs value. Retained sources cover 73.6%; their HHI is 900, a lower bound whose floor falls in the diversified range without classifying the omitted tail.
How much plastic semi-finished products does the U.S. import? $13.2B of customs value in 2025, with $1.3B in USITC Calculated Duties — an effective calculated-duty rate of 9.84%.
Is the U.S. a net importer of plastic semi-finished products? Yes — a net importer in 2025: $13.2B imported vs $9.6B exported (exports are 73% 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.