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End-UseCategory 2
U.S. imports of materials handling equipment (End-Use 21170) totaled $2.3B in April 2026, traded with 96 countries.
Importers of Materials Handling Equipment paid $426.9M in duties in April 2026 — an effective duty rate of 21% on $2.0B in dutiable value, based on actual customs collections rather than the published tariff schedule.
Last updated: April 2026 dataImported 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.
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.
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.
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End-Use codes describe different products on the import and export sides. Cross-direction exports are not shown for this slug.
Monthly import values over time