U.S. exports of Dictionaries, Encyclopedias & Serial Installments Thereof (HS 490191) totaled $864K in August 2026.
Importers of Dictionaries, Encyclopedias & Serial Installments Thereof paid $5K in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 2.05% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule.
Last updated: August 2026 dataDictionaries (including thesauruses, classified under 4901910020) and encyclopedias with their serial installments (4901910040) occupy a dedicated subheading within the printed books chapter, reflecting their reference-work character. India and China are the leading US suppliers, with Canada, the United Kingdom, and Japan also active — a supplier mix that reflects both large-scale commercial printing in South Asia and established publishing relationships with English-language markets. These articles generally enter duty-free, and the primary compliance considerations involve accurate valuation (including any royalty components) and correct country-of-origin marking based on where printing occurred.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
13 import shipments a month
The US tariff schedule explicitly includes thesauruses within the dictionaries line (4901910020), so a standalone thesaurus should be classified there rather than under the general printed books NESOI heading. Combined dictionary-thesaurus volumes would similarly belong under 4901910020. Importers of reference works should review the specific article type against the available lines before filing.
Each physical shipment of encyclopedia installments is entered separately at the time of importation, classified under 4901910040 regardless of whether it is part of a multi-volume set. The heading specifically contemplates serial installments, so there is no need to hold entry until a complete set is assembled. Importers should ensure each installment's commercial invoice accurately describes it as part of a serial encyclopedia to support classification.
Subheading 3 of 3 in heading 4901
Subheading 490191 · $864K of $149.2M
Trade Directory
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4901910020 | Dictionaries (Including Thesauruses) | $209K | 1.54% | 11.19% | $3K |
| 4901910040 | Encyclopedias and Serial Installments Thereof | $12K | 11.24% | 56.20% | $1K |
HS10 export codes under this HS6 parent, each with its own page. Source: U.S. Schedule B export classification.
| Code | Description | Export Value |
|---|---|---|
| 4901910040 | Encyclopedias and Serial Installments Thereof | $600K |
| 4901910020 | Dictionaries (Including Thesauruses) | $264K |
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
$220KYoY · free account
Exports
$864KYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $2.9M of Dictionaries, Encyclopedias & Serial Installments Thereof and exported $5.5M.
Through August 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Exports · August 2026
destination
Canada and Honduras together take 82% of it.
customs district
origin
entry
rate provision · imports
86.4% enters free of duty; duty collected equals 2.05% of imports for consumption.