U.S. imports of Base Metal Paper Clips, Letter Clips & Similar Office Articles (HS 830590) totaled $2.4M in August 2026, imported from 20 countries.
Importers of Base Metal Paper Clips, Letter Clips & Similar Office Articles paid $308K in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 12.78% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule.
Last updated: August 2026 dataPaper clips, letter clips, letter corners, and indexing tags of base metal are split at the 10-digit level by construction: wholly-of-wire paper clips (8305903010), other paper clips (8305903050), and remaining base metal office supply articles (8305906000). China leads supply, with India and Taiwan as secondary sources. The 'wholly of wire' distinction for paper clips is a recurring classification question, as clips with any non-wire component — such as a plastic coating or vinyl grip — may shift to the NESOI line.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
561 import shipments a month
Generally, no. CBP has held that a plastic or vinyl coating changes the essential character of the article such that it is no longer 'wholly of wire,' moving it to the NESOI paper clips line (8305903050). Importers should review CBP rulings for their specific product configuration before filing.
This residual line captures base metal office articles not covered by the more specific paper clip or looseleaf fitting lines — examples include indexing tags, letter corners, and similar small organizing accessories. If an article fits a more specific description elsewhere in heading 8305, that specific line takes precedence.
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Subheading 2 of 3 in heading 8305
Subheading 830590 · $2.4M of $11.1M
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8305903050 | Paper Clips and Parts, NESOI, of Base Metal | $2.0M | 12.21% | 97.77% | $248K |
| 8305906000 | Oth Base Metal Office Supply Articls, Parts, NESOI | $200K | 20.91% | 91.86% | $42K |
| 8305903010 | Paper Clips and Parts, Wholly of Wire, Base Metal | $177K | 10.20% | 100.00% | $18K |
HS10 export codes under this HS6 parent, each with its own page. Source: U.S. Schedule B export classification.
| Code | Description | Export Value |
|---|---|---|
| 8305900000 | Bs Metl Lettr A Paper Clips Oth Offc Artic A Parts | $471K |
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 · August 2026
origin
China and India together supply 93% of it. Brazil pays 30.7% duty; Mexico 0.0%.
customs district
entry
rate provision · imports
2.5% enters free of duty; duty collected equals 12.78% of imports for consumption.
ImportsExports
Imports
$2.4MYoY · free account
Exports
$471KYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $24.1M of Base Metal Paper Clips, Letter Clips & Similar Office Articles and exported $5.4M.
Through August 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.