U.S. imports of Flexible Manufacturing (Hi-Tech 06) totaled $2.9B in September 2026, imported from 111 countries.
Importers of Flexible Manufacturing paid $107.3M in duties in September 2026, an average duty rate of 3.74% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule. Flexible Manufacturing imports of $2.9B in September 2026 ran 50% above the year-to-date monthly average of $1.9B.
Last updated: September 2026 dataFlexible manufacturing technology — encompassing CNC machine tools, industrial robots, additive manufacturing equipment, and programmable automation systems — enables rapid reconfiguration of production lines across aerospace, automotive, and precision-parts industries. Many articles in this ATP category are capital goods subject to Section 232 or Section 301 tariffs depending on their composition and origin, and importers frequently seek binding rulings to confirm classification before committing to large equipment purchases. Lead times for specialized flexible manufacturing systems can span months, making tariff certainty at the time of purchase order a practical business necessity.
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29.7K import shipments a month
Capital equipment in this category can be classified under multiple competing HTS headings with meaningfully different duty rates and Section 301 exposure. A binding ruling locks in CBP's classification determination before the goods ship, giving importers cost certainty on equipment that may represent millions of dollars of capital expenditure.
CBP applies GRI 3(b) or 3(c) to composite machines and may classify the system under the heading for the component that gives the machine its essential character, or under a specific 'machine for multiple use' provision. Importers should document the system's primary function and the relative value and role of each component to support their classification position.
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Imports · September 2026
origin
customs district
Census does not publish district detail for this classification system.
destination
Census does not publish state detail for this classification system.
entry
Census does not publish port detail for this classification system.
ImportsExports
Imports
$2.9BYoY · free account
Exports
$1.7BYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to September 2026, the U.S. imported $21.4B of Flexible Manufacturing and exported $19.8B.
Through September 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.