End-UseCategory 2

Materials Handling Equipment

Name: Materials Handling Equipment (End-Use 21170) -- U.S. Import Data
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/about/policies/open-gov/open-data.html

End-Use 21170Commodity5-digitImport

U.S. imports · July 2026: $2.4B; YTD $15.7B

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U.S. imports of materials handling equipment (End-Use 21170) totaled $2.4B in July 2026, traded with 103 countries.

Importers of Materials Handling Equipment paid $443.6M in duties in July 2026 — an effective duty rate of 21% on $2.2B in dutiable value, based on actual customs collections rather than the published tariff schedule.

Last updated: July 2026 data

Imported materials handling equipment — including reach trucks, automated conveyor systems, and robotic palletizers — supports the rapid expansion of US e-commerce fulfillment and industrial logistics infrastructure. Section 301 tariffs apply to a broad range of machinery imported from China, making origin and component sourcing a key cost consideration for procurement teams. Equipment assembled in third countries using Chinese-origin components may still face Section 301 exposure depending on substantial transformation analysis.

AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.

68.6K shipments/mo

End-Use codes describe different products on the import and export sides. Cross-direction exports are not shown for this slug.

12-month trend

ImportsExports

Imports

$2.4BYoY · Pro

12-mo low · imports

YoY · Pro

$2.7B$0

June 2025December 2025July 2026

Through July 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

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Commodity 13 of 32 in category 2

Share of category 2 imports2%

Commodity 21170 · $2.4B of $148.5B

Where it comes from, where it lands, what it pays

Imports · July 2026

Countries

origin

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Districts

customs district

Census does not publish district detail for this classification system.

States

destination

Census does not publish state detail for this classification system.

Ports

entry

Census does not publish port detail for this classification system.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Section 301 affect the cost of importing materials handling equipment from China?

Section 301 tariffs apply to a wide range of industrial machinery classified under Chapter 84, including many materials handling equipment subheadings, when imported from China. The additional duty is assessed on top of the normal column 1 rate. Importers sourcing from China or from third-country assemblers using Chinese components should conduct a country-of-origin analysis and consult a licensed customs broker to determine their full duty exposure.

What safety or certification standards apply to imported powered industrial trucks entering the US market?

Powered industrial trucks such as forklifts are subject to OSHA standards (29 CFR 1910.178) once placed in service, and many buyers require equipment to meet ANSI/ITSDF B56 series standards. While there is no mandatory pre-import federal certification process equivalent to automotive safety standards, importers should verify that equipment meets applicable ANSI standards and that operator documentation is available in English to satisfy OSHA compliance requirements.