Import Duty on USB Cables and Chargers
US general (MFN) import duty rates for USB Cables and Chargers range from Free–2.6% across 8 HTS lines (e.g. HTS 8504.40.40.00 at Free), per USITC HTS release 2026HTSRev22. This is a planning estimate: Section 301, Section 232, AD/CVD, quotas and MPF/HMF are excluded and must be added separately.
Most USB chargers enter the United States free. The cable attached to them usually does not, which makes the bundle the hard part.
HTS lines and general duty rates
Read from the USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule, release 2026HTSRev22. USITC HTS, verify line 8504.40.40.00.
| HTS code | Description | General rate | Special rate (FTA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8504.40.40.00 | Speed drive controllers for electric motors | Free | |
| 8504.40.60 | Suitable for physical incorporation into automatic data processing machines or units thereof of heading 8471 | Free | |
| 8504.40.70 | Other | Free | |
| 8504.40.85.00 | For telecommunication apparatus | Free | |
| 8504.40.95 | Other | Free | |
| 8544.42.10.00 | Fitted with modular telephone connectors | Free | |
| 8544.42.20.00 | Of a kind used for telecommunications | Free | |
| 8544.42.90 | Other | 2.6% | Free (A,AU,B,BH,CL,CO,D,E,IL,JO,KR,MA,OM,P,P |
What changes by country of origin
The MFN rate is the same regardless of where the goods are made. Everything below it is not.
| Origin | Base rate | US preference | What else attaches |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | MFN rate above | No US preference on these codes | Section 301 lists 1-4A apply to most consumer goods on top of MFN; the 2026 forced-labor 301 action adds a further layer. |
| Vietnam | MFN rate above | No US preference on these codes | No Section 301 list duty. The 2026 forced-labor 301 action applies. No US FTA, so MFN is the base. |
| India | MFN rate above | No US preference on these codes | No Section 301 list duty and no US FTA. Forced-labor 301 applies. GSP expired, so MFN is the base. |
| Thailand | MFN rate above | No US preference on these codes | No Section 301 list duty and no US FTA. Forced-labor 301 applies. |
| Indonesia | MFN rate above | No US preference on these codes | No Section 301 list duty and no US FTA. Forced-labor 301 applies. |
| Mexico | MFN rate above | No USMCA line on these codes | USMCA: duty-free when the goods meet the rules of origin and the preference is claimed. MFN applies otherwise. |
Free-trade programs named on the lines in this group: GSP (developing countries) (1 lines), Australia (AUSFTA) (1 lines), Bahrain (BHFTA) (1 lines), Chile (CLFTA) (1 lines), Colombia (CTPA) (1 lines), Agoa (1 lines). A preference only applies when the goods meet that program's rules of origin and the claim is made on entry. This page does not estimate Section 301 list rates or anti-dumping duty; enter the applicable Section 301 rate in the calculator yourself and verify current list coverage and exclusions at the USTR exclusion notices.
What decides the rate
Inside 8504.40 most adapter lines are Free, while inside 8544.42 the telecom-type cables are Free but the residual 'other' line, 8544.42.90, pays 2.6%. A retail bundle of cable plus adapter is classified as a set, and a set takes the rate of the component that gives it its essential character — so the packaging decides whether the shipment pays anything at all.
Where this goes wrong
Cables sold with a phone in the box follow the phone. Cables sold on their own follow the cable heading. The distinction is packaging and presentation, not the cable itself.
Inputs and assumptions
| Item | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Duty rate source | USITC HTS, release 2026HTSRev22 | Read at build time from the official schedule export. The general rate column. |
| Rate range in this category | Free–2.6% across 8 lines | The spread within one product category is the reason a category average is not usable. |
| MPF | 0.3464% of entered value, min $34.58, max $670.86 | CBP User Fee Table, FY2027. The ad valorem rate is statutory; the floor and cap are adjusted each October. |
| HMF | 0.125% of entered value, ocean cargo only | CBP User Fee Table. Not charged on air freight. |
| Customs value | Transaction value, normally the price paid for the goods | Freight and insurance are not part of US customs value, unlike CIF jurisdictions. |
Questions this page answers
Are USB chargers duty-free?
Most adapter lines in 8504.40 are Free. Cables are mixed: telecom-type cables in 8544.42 are Free, but the residual line 8544.42.90 pays 2.6%.
How is a cable and charger bundle classified?
As a set, which takes the rate of the component giving the essential character. In a charger-plus-cable retail pack that is normally the adapter, so the bundle frequently enters free even though the cable alone would not.
Does this estimate include anti-dumping duty?
No. Anti-dumping and countervailing duty are case-specific and can exceed every other layer combined, so they are outside the estimate by design. The calculator covers base duty, the Section 301 and 232 layers you enter, the merchandise processing fee and the harbor maintenance fee.
Data release: 2026HTSRev22. Content as of November 10, 2026. Found an error? Tell us and it gets corrected.