Harmonized System
U.S. imports of Flexographic Printing Machinery (HS 844316) totaled $5.9M in August 2026, imported from 19 countries.
Importers of Flexographic Printing Machinery paid $336K in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 5.69% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule. Flexographic Printing Machinery imports of $5.9M in August 2026 ran 18% below the year-to-date monthly average of $7.2M.
Last updated: August 2026 dataFlexographic presses — which print via flexible photopolymer or rubber relief plates on a wide range of substrates including films, foils, and corrugated board — are the dominant technology in flexible packaging, label, and corrugated printing. Germany and Italy are the leading suppliers, with both countries home to major flexo press manufacturers serving the global packaging industry. Flexographic equipment is often highly customized with inline converting, coating, and die-cutting stations, which can complicate classification if the press is imported as a system; the printing unit itself belongs here, but ancillary converting modules may classify separately. The single 10-digit line (8443160000) covers all flexographic printing machinery regardless of substrate or web width.
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
When a flexographic press is imported as an integrated system with inline converting functions (die-cutting, laminating, slitting), the classification depends on whether the units are presented together as a functional unit or separately. If imported as a complete functional unit where printing is the principal function, the entire system may classify under 8443160000. If the converting modules are separately invoiced and shipped, each component may classify independently under its own heading. This is a fact-specific determination; a licensed customs broker should review the configuration and commercial documentation before entry.
Flexographic presses transfer ink from raised flexible relief plates to the substrate, while gravure presses transfer ink from engraved recessed cells in a cylinder. The plate or cylinder type is the defining technical distinction. In practice, both are used for high-speed packaging and publication printing, but the ink-transfer mechanism — relief versus intaglio — determines whether the machine belongs under 844316 (flexographic) or 844317 (gravure).
Subheading 8 of 13 in heading 8443
Subheading 844316 · $5.9M of $851.3M
ImportsExports
Imports
$5.9MYoY · free account
Exports
$2.5MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $122.2M of Flexographic Printing Machinery and exported $41.4M.
Through August 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8443160000 | Flexographic Printing Machinery | $5.9M | 5.69% | 100.00% | $336K |
HS10 export codes under this HS6 parent, each with its own page. Source: U.S. Schedule B export classification.
| Code | Description | Export Value |
|---|---|---|
| 8443160000 | Flexographic Printing Machinery | $2.5M |
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
Germany and Italy together supply 85% of it. China pays 52.2% duty; Czech Republic 0.0%.
customs district
destination
entry
rate provision · imports
duty collected equals 5.69% of imports for consumption.