Tariff monitor · Machinery & Equipment

Gears and Power Transmission: Statutory & Effective Tariff Rates

USITC Column 1 General rates for 24 gears and power transmission HTS lines (parseable range 0%–5.7% (+1 see schedule)). Effective rate Jun 2026: 16.04%; monthly hist

The short answer

  • The observed effective calculated-duty rate on U.S. imports of gears and power transmission was 16.04% in Jun 2026, up from 14.43% a year earlier — USITC Calculated Duties divided by covered customs value. The Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–5.7% (+1 see schedule) across 24 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. Germany is the largest source, holding 12.5% of 2025 imports.

Statutory rates from the schedule

  • Shafts, gearboxes, gears, pulleys, and couplings — mechanical drivetrain components. This family covers HTS heading 8483: 24 eight-digit rate lines with a parseable Column 1 General range of 0%–5.7% (+1 see schedule) in the 2026 schedule. “Free” means the official General field is literally Free for that line; it does not determine final entry liability.
  • 1 line carries compound or specific duties that cannot be stated as a single percentage; this page flags them "see schedule" rather than approximating.
  • Chapter 99 references on individual lines (for example, 9903.90.08) identify provisions to review; applicability and any additional duty depend on the entry facts.

Observed calculated-duty data

  • Latest month on record (2026-06): 16.04% effective on $970.8M of imports, versus 14.43% 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 $10.8B in customs value, with $1.8B in USITC reported calculated duty on $10.8B of covered customs value: an effective calculated-duty rate of 16.8%. 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 4.72%, so the observed rate rose 12.1 points.
  • Top source countries in 2025: Germany ($1.4B at 14.71%), China ($1.3B at 50.96%), India ($1.2B at 17.31%), Japan ($1.1B at 14.22%), Mexico ($1.1B at 8.1%).
  • Reported freight and insurance equaled 3.33% of covered customs value in 2025 ($297.6M total); charge coverage was 82.6% 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 2.4% of the U.S. machinery industry's $448B gross output (2025, BEA).

Representative rate lines

  • 8483.10.10: Designed for use solely or principally with spark-ignition internal combustion piston engi · MFN 2.5%
  • 8483.10.30: Other · MFN 2.5%
  • 8483.10.50.00: Other transmission shafts and cranks · MFN Free
  • 8483.20.40: Flange, take-up, cartridge and hanger units · MFN 4.5%
  • 8483.20.80: Other · MFN 4.5%
  • 8483.30.40: Flange, take-up, cartridge and hanger units · MFN 4.5%
  • 8483.30.80: Other · MFN 4.5%
  • 8483.40.10.00: Torque converters · MFN Free

Frequently asked questions

  • What is the U.S. tariff rate on gears and power transmission? USITC calculated duties imply an effective rate of 16.04% in Jun 2026 (calculated duties ÷ covered customs value, USITC DataWeb). The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–5.7% (+1 see schedule); 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 gears and power transmission? The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–5.7% (+1 see schedule) across the family's 24 eight-digit HTS lines in the 2026 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (headings 8483). “Free” means the official General field is literally Free for a line; it does not determine final entry liability. 1 lines carry compound or specific duties flagged "see schedule".
  • Which countries supply the most gears and power transmission to the U.S.? Top retained sources in 2025: Germany ($1.4B at 14.71%), China ($1.3B at 50.96%), India ($1.2B at 17.31%). Germany holds 12.5% of total family import customs value. Retained sources cover 82.6%; their HHI is 790, a lower bound whose floor falls in the diversified range without classifying the omitted tail.
  • How much gears and power transmission does the U.S. import? $10.8B of customs value in 2025, with $1.8B in USITC Calculated Duties — an effective calculated-duty rate of 16.8%.
  • Is the U.S. a net importer of gears and power transmission? Yes — a net importer in 2025: $10.8B imported vs $4.3B exported (exports are 40% 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.