Understanding U.S. tariff rates is essential for anyone importing goods into the United States. This guide explains how tariffs work, the different types of rates you'll encounter, and how to find the rate that applies to your specific product.
What Are Tariffs?
Tariffs are taxes imposed on imported goods. In the U.S., tariffs are set by the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS), which assigns a duty rate to every product classification. The revenue goes to the U.S. Treasury.
Types of Tariff Rates
Statutory (MFN) Rates
The published rate in the HTS, also called the Most Favored Nation (MFN) or "Column 1 General" rate. This is what most countries pay unless a special trade agreement applies.
Preferential Rates
Lower rates under trade agreements like:
- USMCA — United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (replaced NAFTA)
- GSP — Generalized System of Preferences for developing countries
- KORUS — U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement
- CAFTA-DR — Central America-Dominican Republic agreement
Section 301 Tariffs
Additional tariffs targeting Chinese goods, imposed starting in 2018. These add 7.5% to 25% on top of the MFN rate for affected products.
Section 232 Tariffs
National security tariffs on steel (25%) and aluminum (10%) from most countries.
Effective Tariff Rates
The actual average duty paid, calculated as total duties collected divided by total dutiable import value. This is often lower than the statutory rate because many imports enter duty-free under trade agreements. You can look up effective rates with our Tariff Rate Lookup tool.
How to Find Your Tariff Rate
- Find your HS code using our HS Code Lookup tool
- Check effective rates with the Tariff Rate Lookup — this shows what importers actually pay on average
- Estimate total cost using the Import Cost Estimator to see duties as part of your landed cost
- Simulate changes with the Tariff Impact Simulator to model how rate changes would affect your costs
Understanding Dutiable vs. Non-Dutiable Imports
Not all imports are subject to duties. Common duty-free categories include:
- Products from GSP-eligible countries
- Goods covered by free trade agreements
- Certain raw materials and inputs for U.S. manufacturing
- Products under temporary tariff suspensions
The share of U.S. imports that are dutiable varies by product — check the tariff impact statistics for current data.
Recent Tariff Changes
The U.S. tariff landscape has changed significantly since 2018 with Section 301 tariffs on China, Section 232 tariffs on metals, and ongoing trade policy adjustments. Our Tariff Impact Simulator helps you model how these changes affect specific products.