What is the U.S. tariff rate on insulated wire and cable?

USITC calculated duties imply an effective rate of 11.3% in Jun 2026 (calculated duties ÷ covered customs value, USITC DataWeb). The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–5.3%; 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 insulated wire and cable?

The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–5.3% across the family's 15 eight-digit HTS lines in the 2026 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (headings 8544). “Free” means the official General field is literally Free for a line; it does not determine final entry liability.

Which countries supply the most insulated wire and cable to the U.S.?

Top retained sources in 2025: Mexico ($17.7B at 2.6%), China ($3.6B at 53.21%), Vietnam ($2.6B at 17.08%). Mexico holds 49.7% of total family import customs value. Retained sources cover 84.2%; their HHI is 2670, a lower bound whose floor falls in the highly concentrated range without classifying the omitted tail.

How much insulated wire and cable does the U.S. import?

$35.7B of customs value in 2025, with $4.4B in USITC Calculated Duties — an effective calculated-duty rate of 12.27%.

Is the U.S. a net importer of insulated wire and cable?

Yes — a net importer in 2025: $35.7B imported vs $6.1B exported (exports are 17% of imports).

Tariff monitor · Electrical & Wiring

Insulated Wire and Cable: Statutory & Effective Tariff Rates

USITC Column 1 General rates for 15 insulated wire and cable HTS lines (parseable range 0%–5.3%). Effective rate Jun 2026: 11.3%; monthly history since 2014.

The short answer

The observed effective calculated-duty rate on U.S. imports of insulated wire and cable was 11.3% in Jun 2026, down from 11.43% a year earlier — USITC Calculated Duties divided by covered customs value. The Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–5.3% across 15 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. Mexico is the largest source, holding 49.7% of 2025 imports.

Statutory rates from the schedule

Insulated wire, cable, and other conductors, with or without connectors — panel and harness stock. This family covers HTS heading 8544: 15 eight-digit rate lines with a parseable Column 1 General range of 0%–5.3% in the 2026 schedule. “Free” means the official General field is literally Free for that line; it does not determine final entry liability.
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): 11.3% effective on $3.6B of imports, versus 11.43% 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 $35.7B in customs value, with $4.4B in USITC reported calculated duty on $35.7B of covered customs value: an effective calculated-duty rate of 12.27%. 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 3.42%, so the observed rate rose 8.8 points.
Top source countries in 2025: Mexico ($17.7B at 2.6%), China ($3.6B at 53.21%), Vietnam ($2.6B at 17.08%), Philippines ($1.2B at 18.81%), South Korea ($1.0B at 10.79%).
Reported freight and insurance equaled 2.6% of covered customs value in 2025 ($780.9M total); charge coverage was 84.2% 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.
For scale, 2025 imports in this family equal 17.7% of the U.S. electrical equipment and appliances industry's $202B gross output (2025, BEA).

Representative rate lines

8544.11.00: Of copper · MFN 3.5%
8544.19.00.00: Other · MFN 3.9%
8544.20.00.00: Coaxial cable and other coaxial electric conductors · MFN 5.3%
8544.30.00.00: Ignition wiring sets and other wiring sets of a kind used in vehicles, aircraft or ships · MFN 5%
8544.42.10.00: Fitted with modular telephone connectors · MFN Free
8544.42.20.00: Of a kind used for telecommunications · MFN Free
8544.42.90: Other · MFN 2.6%
8544.49.10.00: Of a kind used for telecommunications · MFN Free

Frequently asked questions

What is the U.S. tariff rate on insulated wire and cable? USITC calculated duties imply an effective rate of 11.3% in Jun 2026 (calculated duties ÷ covered customs value, USITC DataWeb). The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–5.3%; 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 insulated wire and cable? The parseable Column 1 General line-rate range is 0%–5.3% across the family's 15 eight-digit HTS lines in the 2026 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (headings 8544). “Free” means the official General field is literally Free for a line; it does not determine final entry liability.
Which countries supply the most insulated wire and cable to the U.S.? Top retained sources in 2025: Mexico ($17.7B at 2.6%), China ($3.6B at 53.21%), Vietnam ($2.6B at 17.08%). Mexico holds 49.7% of total family import customs value. Retained sources cover 84.2%; their HHI is 2670, a lower bound whose floor falls in the highly concentrated range without classifying the omitted tail.
How much insulated wire and cable does the U.S. import? $35.7B of customs value in 2025, with $4.4B in USITC Calculated Duties — an effective calculated-duty rate of 12.27%.
Is the U.S. a net importer of insulated wire and cable? Yes — a net importer in 2025: $35.7B imported vs $6.1B exported (exports are 17% 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.