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HSChapter 85
U.S. imports of arc lamps (HS 853941) totaled $9.5M in July 2026, traded with 25 countries.
Importers of Arc Lamps paid $1.1M in duties in July 2026 — an effective duty rate of 12% on $9.2M in dutiable value, based on actual customs collections rather than the published tariff schedule.
Last updated: July 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.
509 shipments/mo
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.
Subheading 5 of 12 in heading 8539
Subheading 853941 · $9.5M of $185.9M
Supplier Network
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ImportsExports
Imports
$9.5MYoY · Pro
Exports
$6.0MYoY · Pro
12-mo low · imports
YoY · ProThrough July 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
HS10 import codes under this HS6 parent, each with its own page. Source: U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
| Code | Description | Import Value | Effective Tariff % | Dutiable Share | Duty Collected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8539410000 | Arc Lamps | $9.5M | 11.48% | 97.02% | $1.1M |
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 | $6.0M |
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.
Imports · July 2026
origin
Germany and Hungary together supply 62% of it.
customs district
destination
entry
rate provision · imports
0.4% enters free of duty; the effective duty rate is 11.48%.