U.S. imports of Arc Lamps (HS 853941) totaled $8.6M in August 2026, imported from 25 countries.
Importers of Arc Lamps paid $934K in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 11.43% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule.
Last updated: August 2026 dataArc lamps — which generate light by sustaining an electrical arc between electrodes — serve high-intensity projection, cinema, searchlight, and scientific illumination applications where no other lamp technology matches their luminous intensity. Germany and Hungary lead US supply, with Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines also contributing, a supplier mix that reflects both European precision manufacturing and Asian assembly operations. The entire heading resolves to a single 10-digit line (8539410000), simplifying classification but placing the analytical burden on distinguishing arc lamps from other high-intensity discharge types at the heading level. Importers should confirm that xenon short-arc and carbon arc variants are correctly distinguished from HID discharge lamps under heading 853932 to avoid misclassification.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
431 import shipments a month
Arc lamps generate light from a sustained arc between two electrodes — typically carbon or tungsten — in an open or enclosed environment, and are classified under heading 853941. High-intensity discharge lamps (mercury vapor, sodium vapor, metal halide) under heading 853932 operate by exciting a gas or vapor within a sealed envelope. The key distinction is the electrode-arc mechanism versus sealed-envelope gas discharge; CBP rulings have addressed this boundary for xenon short-arc types, so importers of borderline products should seek a binding ruling.
Cinema projection (particularly IMAX and large-format venues), professional searchlights, solar simulation equipment for aerospace and materials testing, and high-end stage lighting are the primary commercial end uses. Scientific applications include UV-visible spectroscopy and photochemical research. These niche, high-value applications explain why Germany and Hungary — home to precision optical and cinema equipment manufacturers — are leading suppliers.
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Subheading 5 of 12 in heading 8539
Subheading 853941 · $8.6M of $184.8M
HS10 import codes under this HS6 parent, each with its own page. Source: U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
| Code | Description | Imports for consumption | Average duty rate | Dutiable Share | Duty Collected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8539410000 | Arc Lamps | $8.2M | 11.43% | 99.42% | $934K |
HS10 export codes under this HS6 parent, each with its own page. Source: U.S. Schedule B export classification.
| Code | Description | Export Value |
|---|---|---|
| 8539410000 | Arc Lamps | $9.4M |
Import lines come from the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule and export lines from Schedule B. The two are numbered by different agencies, so the same 10-digit code can appear in both tables describing a different product.
ImportsExports
Imports
$8.6MYoY · free account
Exports
$9.4MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $105.3M of Arc Lamps and exported $96.7M.
Through August 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Imports · August 2026
origin
Germany and Hungary together supply 46% of it.
customs district
destination
entry
rate provision · imports
0.6% enters free of duty; duty collected equals 11.43% of imports for consumption.