What is the U.S. tariff rate on plastics in primary forms?

USITC calculated duties imply an effective rate of 7.23% 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 plastics in primary forms?

The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–6.5% across the family's 54 eight-digit HTS lines in the 2026 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (headings 3901, 3902, 3903, 3904, 3906, 3907, 3908). “Free” means the official General field is literally Free for a line; it does not determine final entry liability.

Which countries supply the most plastics in primary forms to the U.S.?

Top retained sources in 2025: Canada ($4.1B at 0.31%), South Korea ($1.5B at 5.14%), Mexico ($1.2B at 0.32%). Canada holds 33.2% of total family import customs value. Retained sources cover 82.2%; their HHI is 1480, a lower bound whose floor falls in the diversified range without classifying the omitted tail.

How much plastics in primary forms does the U.S. import?

$12.5B of customs value in 2025, with $673.7M in USITC Calculated Duties — an effective calculated-duty rate of 5.39%.

Is the U.S. a net importer of plastics in primary forms?

No — a net exporter in 2025: $12.5B imported vs $22.7B exported.

What is the customs unit value of plastics in primary forms?

$1.6/kg 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.

Tariff monitor · Plastics & Polymers

Plastics in Primary Forms: Statutory & Effective Tariff Rates

USITC Column 1 General rates for 54 plastics in primary forms HTS lines (parseable range 0%–6.5%). Effective rate Jun 2026: 7.23%; monthly history since 2023.

The short answer

The observed effective calculated-duty rate on U.S. imports of plastics in primary forms was 7.23% in Jun 2026, up from 5.55% a year earlier — USITC Calculated Duties divided by covered customs value. The Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–6.5% across 54 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 33.2% of 2025 imports.

Statutory rates from the schedule

PE, PP, styrenics, PVC, acrylics, PET/polycarbonate, and nylon resins — injection molding feedstock. This family covers HTS headings 3901, 3902, 3903, 3904, 3906, 3907, 3908: 54 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): 7.23% effective on $1.2B of imports, versus 5.55% in the same month a year earlier. The monthly archive holds 42 observations from 2023-01 through 2026-06.
In 2025, U.S. imports for consumption in this family totaled $12.5B in customs value, with $673.7M in USITC reported calculated duty on $12.5B of covered customs value: an effective calculated-duty rate of 5.39%. 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 2.87%, so the observed rate rose 2.5 points.
Top source countries in 2025: Canada ($4.1B at 0.31%), South Korea ($1.5B at 5.14%), Mexico ($1.2B at 0.32%), Germany ($921.0M at 8.42%), Japan ($863.4M at 7.89%).
Reported freight and insurance equaled 5.7% of covered customs value in 2025 ($585.9M total); charge coverage was 82.2% 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: 1.6009 per kg 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 1.2% of the U.S. chemical products industry's $1.03T gross output (2025, BEA).

Representative rate lines

3901.10.10.00: Having a relative viscosity of 1.44 or more · MFN 6.5%
3901.10.50: Other · MFN 6.5%
3901.20.10.00: Having a relative viscosity of 1.44 or more · MFN 6.5%
3901.20.50.00: Other · MFN 6.5%
3901.30.20.00: Vinyl acetate-vinyl chloride-ethylene terpolymers, containing by weight less than 50 perce · MFN Free
3901.30.60.00: Other · MFN 5.3%
3901.40.00.00: Ethylene-alpha-olefin copolymers, having a specific gravity of less than 0.94 · MFN 6.5%
3901.90.10.00: Elastomeric · MFN Free

Frequently asked questions

What is the U.S. tariff rate on plastics in primary forms? USITC calculated duties imply an effective rate of 7.23% 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 plastics in primary forms? The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–6.5% across the family's 54 eight-digit HTS lines in the 2026 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (headings 3901, 3902, 3903, 3904, 3906, 3907, 3908). “Free” means the official General field is literally Free for a line; it does not determine final entry liability.
Which countries supply the most plastics in primary forms to the U.S.? Top retained sources in 2025: Canada ($4.1B at 0.31%), South Korea ($1.5B at 5.14%), Mexico ($1.2B at 0.32%). Canada holds 33.2% of total family import customs value. Retained sources cover 82.2%; their HHI is 1480, a lower bound whose floor falls in the diversified range without classifying the omitted tail.
How much plastics in primary forms does the U.S. import? $12.5B of customs value in 2025, with $673.7M in USITC Calculated Duties — an effective calculated-duty rate of 5.39%.
Is the U.S. a net importer of plastics in primary forms? No — a net exporter in 2025: $12.5B imported vs $22.7B exported.
What is the customs unit value of plastics in primary forms? $1.6/kg 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.