U.S. exports of receiver or amplifier vacuum tubes (HS 854081) totaled $6.7M in August 2026.
Importers of Receiver or Amplifier Vacuum Tubes paid $148K in duties in August 2026, an effective tariff rate of 18.59% of the $798K imported — duty actually collected as a share of that value, not the published tariff schedule. Receiver or Amplifier Vacuum Tubes imports of $798K in August 2026 ran 25% below the year-to-date monthly average of $1.1M.
Last updated: August 2026 dataReceiver and amplifier tubes—commonly called vacuum tubes or valves—retain a dedicated commercial market in high-end audio amplification, vintage radio restoration, and certain military or aerospace applications where radiation-hardened or long-life thermionic devices are specified. All US imports under this heading are classified under a single 10-digit line (8540810000), reflecting the relatively consolidated nature of current trade flows. Slovakia and France are the leading US import sources, with China, Russia, and Sierra Leone also represented—a supplier mix that spans Eastern European specialty manufacturers, French precision producers, and Chinese mass-market tube factories.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
39 shipments/mo
Several Eastern European manufacturers maintained continuous production of vacuum tubes through and after the Cold War era, preserving the tooling, glass-working expertise, and quality-control processes needed for audiophile-grade and military-specification tubes. This institutional continuity gives Slovak and Czech producers a competitive advantage in the premium and specialty segments of the market, where consistent electrical characteristics across production batches are critical.
When a tube type is used in both consumer audio and industrial or military applications, classification under 8540810000 as a receiver or amplifier tube is appropriate if the tube's design and specifications align with that function. If the tube is specifically a microwave-frequency device (e.g., a klystron or magnetron), it would fall under a different heading. Retaining the manufacturer's datasheet showing the tube's type designation, operating parameters, and intended application supports the classification decision in the event of a customs inquiry.
HSChapter 85
Subheading 3 of 11 in heading 8540
Subheading 854081 · $6.7M of $42.4M
ImportsExports
Imports
$798KYoY · free account
Exports
$6.7MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
YoY · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $11.5M of Receiver or Amplifier Vacuum Tubes.
Through August 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Trade Directory
List your company under HS 854081 — Receiver or Amplifier Vacuum Tubes, so the companies trading it can find you. Be the first supplier listed.
HS10 import codes under this HS6 parent, each with its own page. Source: U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
| Code | Description | Import Value | Effective Tariff % | Dutiable Share | Duty Collected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8540810000 | Reciever or Amplifier Tubes | $798K | 18.59% | 100.38% | $148K |
HS10 export codes under this HS6 parent, each with its own page. Source: U.S. Schedule B export classification.
| Code | Description | Export Value |
|---|---|---|
| 8540810000 | Reciever or Amplifier Tubes | $6.7M |
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.
Exports · August 2026
destination
Korea, South and United Kingdom together take 82% of it.
customs district
origin
entry
rate provision · imports
duty collected equals 18.59% of total import value.