U.S. imports of Sound Recording & Reproducing Apparatus Using Magnetic, Optical, or Semiconductor Media (HS 851981) totaled $70.2M in August 2026, imported from 43 countries.
Importers of Sound Recording & Reproducing Apparatus Using Magnetic, Optical, or Semiconductor Media paid $8.2M in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 11.98% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule. Sound Recording & Reproducing Apparatus Using Magnetic, Optical, or Semiconductor Media imports of $70.2M in August 2026 ran 32% above the year-to-date monthly average of $53.1M.
Last updated: August 2026 dataVietnam leads US imports under this broad heading, which spans a wide range of recording and playback technologies — from cassette tape players for motor vehicles (8519812000) and digital audio tape recorders (8519813000) to optical disc players (8519813010), telephone answering machines (8519814105), and semiconductor-media sound apparatus (8519814150). The heading's ten tariff lines reflect decades of technology evolution, and importers must carefully match their product's recording medium and primary function to the correct line, as duty rates and Section 301 exposure can differ. China is the second-largest supplier, and goods of Chinese origin may carry Section 301 tariff liability, reinforcing Vietnam's growing role as a preferred manufacturing base for consumer audio electronics destined for the US market.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
1.6K import shipments a month
A portable digital voice recorder using flash (semiconductor) memory as its recording medium would generally fall under 8519814150, which covers sound recording apparatus using semiconductor media not elsewhere specified. Importers should confirm that the device's primary function is sound recording/reproduction and that it does not incorporate features — such as video recording or data processing — that would pull it into a different chapter 85 heading.
8519814105 covers standalone telephone answering machines as a physical apparatus. Modern VoIP-based or cloud voicemail systems that operate as software services rather than imported hardware articles do not generate an import entry under this line. However, a physical device sold as a dedicated answering machine — even one using digital semiconductor storage — would still classify here. Combination devices (e.g., a cordless phone with integrated answering machine) may require classification analysis under GRI 3 to determine the essential character.
Subheading 1 of 4 in heading 8519
Subheading 851981 · $70.2M of $85.8M
ImportsExports
Imports
$70.2MYoY · free account
Exports
$6.6MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $721.3M of Sound Recording & Reproducing Apparatus Using Magnetic, Optical, or Semiconductor Media and exported $83.6M.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8519814150 | Sound Record App Mgnt/Optcl/Semicndctr Media NESOI | $63.1M | 11.11% | 89.59% | $7.0M |
| 8519813020 | Electric Sound Reproducing Apparatus, NESOI | $4.3M | 24.88% | 96.80% | $1.1M |
| 8519813010 | Optical Disc (Incluiding Compact Disc) Players | $501K | 9.30% | 52.25% | $47K |
| 8519814110 | Cassette Tape Recorder/Players, NESOI | $201K | 10.81% | 87.31% | $22K |
| 8519812500 | Cassette Tape Players, NESOI | $88K | 11.27% | 90.12% | $10K |
| 8519811000 | Transcribing Machines | $81K | 10.07% | 100.00% | $8K |
| 8519814105 | Telephone Answering Machines | $44K | 12.50% | 100.00% | $6K |
| 8519814120 | Optical Disc Recorders | $52K | 12.50% | 100.00% | $6K |
| 8519812000 | Cassette Tape Players for Motor Vehicles | $35K | 26.92% | 100.00% | $10K |
HS10 export codes under this HS6 parent, each with its own page. Source: U.S. Schedule B export classification.
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
China and Vietnam together supply 89% of it.
customs district
destination
entry
rate provision · imports
9.4% enters free of duty; duty collected equals 11.98% of imports for consumption.