Standard International Trade Classification
U.S. imports of Instruments & Apparatus for Measuring or Checking Flow or Level of Liquids (SITC 87431) totaled $87.5M in August 2026, imported from 75 countries.
Importers of Instruments & Apparatus for Measuring or Checking Flow or Level of Liquids paid $7.2M in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 8.29% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule.
Last updated: August 2026 dataFlow meters, level gauges, and related liquid-measurement instruments classified here exclude utility supply meters and automatic regulating apparatus, placing them squarely in the precision instrumentation segment used by oil-and-gas, water treatment, and chemical processing industries. The N.E.S. (not elsewhere specified) qualifier means importers must confirm that a given device does not fall under a more specific SITC heading before applying this code. Correct classification is especially important for instruments subject to Section 301 tariff exposure depending on country of origin, as misclassification can trigger duty underpayments or overpayments on high-value capital equipment.
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7.6K import shipments a month
The heading explicitly excludes supply meters (e.g., commercial water or gas meters billed to end-users) and automatic regulating or controlling apparatus. A device that only measures or checks—without automatically controlling flow or pressure—generally belongs here, but borderline cases should be reviewed with a licensed customs broker against the full SITC schedule notes.
Depending on the country of manufacture and the corresponding HTS classification, certain precision instruments in this category may be subject to Section 301 tariffs. Importers should verify the applicable HTS subheading and origin before entry, as duty treatment can vary significantly across product types within this broad heading.
Basic heading 109 of 419 in section 8
Basic heading 87431 · $87.5M of $46.9B
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Imports · August 2026
origin
Mexico and Germany together supply 40% of it. China pays 27.9% duty; Mexico 1.5%.
customs district
Census does not publish district detail for this classification system.
destination
Census does not publish state detail for this classification system.
entry
Census does not publish port detail for this classification system.
ImportsExports
Imports
$87.5MYoY · free account
Exports
$103.2MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $1.0B of Instruments & Apparatus for Measuring or Checking Flow or Level of Liquids.
Through August 2026 · exports 11 of 12 months reported. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.