U.S. imports of Machinery for Meat or Poultry Preparation (HS 843850) totaled $19.0M in August 2026, imported from 37 countries.
Importers of Machinery for Meat or Poultry Preparation paid $2.2M in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 11.46% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule.
Last updated: August 2026 dataEuropean suppliers dominate US imports of meat and poultry preparation machinery, with Germany and the Netherlands leading, followed by Italy, the United Kingdom, and Denmark — reflecting the concentration of precision food-equipment engineering in that region. The US tariff schedule divides this heading into dedicated meat- and poultry-packing plant machinery (8438500010) and all other preparation machinery not elsewhere specified (8438500090), a distinction that matters for both duty classification and end-use documentation. Equipment in this category supports slaughter, deboning, portioning, and packaging operations across industrial-scale protein processing facilities.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
475 import shipments a month
Line 8438500010 covers machinery specifically designed for meat- and poultry-packing plant operations, such as integrated slaughter and packing line equipment. Line 8438500090 captures other preparation machinery — such as standalone portioning, grinding, or marinating equipment — that does not fit the packing-plant definition. The distinction turns on whether the equipment is purpose-built for a packing plant environment versus general preparation use.
The machinery itself does not require USDA FSIS or APHIS admissibility review — those agencies govern the food products, not the equipment. However, importers should retain technical specifications and end-use documentation to support correct tariff classification and to satisfy any CBP requests for ruling verification, particularly when equipment could plausibly fall under adjacent headings.
Subheading 4 of 8 in heading 8438
Subheading 843850 · $19.0M of $156.7M
ImportsExports
Imports
$19.0MYoY · free account
Exports
$18.7MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $246.5M of Machinery for Meat or Poultry Preparation and exported $246.4M.
Through August 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Imports · August 2026
origin
Germany and Netherlands together supply 58% of it. China pays 40.2% duty; Germany 10.0%.
customs district
destination
entry
rate provision · imports
2.6% enters free of duty; duty collected equals 11.46% of imports for consumption.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8438500090 | Mach for the Preparation of Meat or Poultry, NESOI | $13.3M | 11.97% | 99.07% | $1.6M |
| 8438500010 | Meat-and Poultry-Packing Plant Machinery | $5.7M | 10.28% | 93.61% | $589K |
HS10 export codes under this HS6 parent, each with its own page. Source: U.S. Schedule B export classification.
| Code | Description | Export Value |
|---|---|---|
| 8438500010 | Meat-and Poultry-Packing Plant Machinery | $12.7M |
| 8438500090 | Mach for the Preparation of Meat or Poultry, NESOI | $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.
Trade Directory
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