U.S. exports of Wirewound Variable Resistors (Rheostats & Potentiometers), Power Capacity Exceeding 20 W (HS 853339) totaled $1.6M in August 2026.
Importers of Wirewound Variable Resistors (Rheostats & Potentiometers), Power Capacity Exceeding 20 W paid $179K in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 21.73% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule. Wirewound Variable Resistors (Rheostats & Potentiometers), Power Capacity Exceeding 20 W imports of $820K in August 2026 ran 15% below the year-to-date monthly average of $969K.
Last updated: August 2026 dataHeavy-duty wirewound rheostats and potentiometers rated above 20 watts handle significant power loads in motor starters, industrial heating controls, and high-current test equipment. The US schedule splits this heading into dimmers (8533390040) — a commercially important subset used in lighting control systems — and all other wirewound variable resistors exceeding 20 W (8533390080). China and Vietnam are the leading sources of US imports under this heading, with Germany supplying higher-specification industrial types.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
121 import shipments a month
Lighting dimmers (8533390040) are singled out because they represent a distinct, high-volume commercial product category with different end-use markets and, in some trade-remedy contexts, different enforcement histories than general-purpose rheostats. The separation allows CBP and trade statisticians to track dimmer imports independently from industrial high-power rheostats (8533390080).
Beyond standard customs classification, dimmers may be subject to Section 301 tariffs on Chinese-origin goods. Additionally, dimmers intended for residential or commercial lighting circuits may need to comply with UL or ETL safety listing requirements and FCC Part 15 electromagnetic compatibility rules before sale in the US market — these are separate from customs admissibility.
Subheading 7 of 7 in heading 8533
Subheading 853339 · $1.6M of $112.2M
ImportsExports
Imports
$820KYoY · free account
Exports
$1.6MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $11.5M of Wirewound Variable Resistors (Rheostats & Potentiometers), Power Capacity Exceeding 20 W and exported $11.8M.
Through August 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Exports · August 2026
destination
Mexico and Canada together take 72% of it.
customs district
origin
entry
rate provision · imports
5.8% enters free of duty; duty collected equals 21.73% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8533390040 | Wirewound Variable Resistors, Dimmers | $597K | 25.07% | 97.93% | $150K |
| 8533390080 | Wirewound Variable Resistors, NESOI | $225K | 12.87% | 84.43% | $29K |
HS10 export codes under this HS6 parent, each with its own page. Source: U.S. Schedule B export classification.
| Code | Description | Export Value |
|---|---|---|
| 8533390080 | Wirewound Variable Resistors, NESOI | $1.3M |
| 8533390040 | Wirewound Variable Resistors, Dimmers | $242K |
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
List your company under HS 853339 — Wirewound Variable Resistors (Rheostats & Potentiometers), Power Capacity Exceeding 20 W, so the companies trading it can find you. Be the first supplier listed.