U.S. exports of Printed or Manuscript Music (HS 490400) totaled $1.1M in August 2026.
Importers of Printed or Manuscript Music paid $13K in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 3.07% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule. Printed or Manuscript Music imports of $398K in August 2026 ran 15% below the year-to-date monthly average of $469K.
Last updated: August 2026 dataGermany and the United Kingdom anchor US imports of printed and manuscript music, reflecting the deep classical and popular music publishing traditions of both countries. The US schedule divides the heading between sheet music that is stapled or folded but not otherwise bound (4904000020) and all other printed or manuscript music, including bound scores and illustrated editions (4904000040). Importers should note that the binding method — not the musical genre or instrumentation — is the operative classification criterion at the 10-digit level, making packaging decisions commercially significant.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
36 import shipments a month
The key is the physical binding method: stapled or folded sheets that are not permanently bound in a cover classify under 4904000020, while music in a bound format — whether saddle-stitched with a cover, perfect-bound, or spiral-bound — falls under 4904000040. Importers should ensure commercial invoices and packing lists accurately describe the binding format to support correct classification.
No. Heading 490400 covers only physical printed or manuscript music on paper or similar substrates. Digital music files, downloads, or music stored on electronic media are classified elsewhere in the HTS schedule (typically under Chapter 85 or as intangible transfers outside the goods schedule). Only tangible printed or handwritten scores fall within this heading.
Trade Directory
List your company under HS 490400 — Printed or Manuscript Music, so the companies trading it can find you. Be the first supplier listed.
Subheading 1 of 1 in heading 4904
Subheading 490400 · $1.1M of $1.1M
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4904000040 | Music NESOI Printed/Manuscript, Bound/Illustrated | $336K | 3.00% | 25.54% | $10K |
| 4904000020 | Sheet Music W/N Stapled/Folded not Otherwise Bound | $74K | 3.39% | 66.95% | $2K |
HS10 export codes under this HS6 parent, each with its own page. Source: U.S. Schedule B export classification.
| Code | Description | Export Value |
|---|---|---|
| 4904000020 | Sheet Music W/N Stapled/Folded not Otherwise Bound | $618K |
| 4904000040 | Music NESOI Printed/Manuscript, Bound/Illustrated | $482K |
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
$398KYoY · free account
Exports
$1.1MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $5.2M of Printed or Manuscript Music and exported $10.2M.
Through August 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Exports · August 2026
destination
Canada and United Kingdom together take 51% of it.
customs district
origin
entry
rate provision · imports
66.7% enters free of duty; duty collected equals 3.07% of imports for consumption.