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SITCSection 7
U.S. imports of letterpress printing machinery (excluding flexographic) (SITC 72661) totaled $210K in July 2026, traded with 8 countries.
Importers of Letterpress Printing Machinery (Excluding Flexographic) paid $38K in duties in July 2026 — an effective duty rate of 18% on $210K in dutiable value, based on actual customs collections rather than the published tariff schedule. Letterpress Printing Machinery (Excluding Flexographic) imports of $210K in July 2026 ran 38% below the year-to-date monthly average of $338K.
Last updated: July 2026 dataLetterpress presses — which print directly from a raised inked surface — are explicitly defined here to exclude flexographic printing, which uses a similar relief principle but with flexible photopolymer plates and is classified separately under 72663. Remaining commercial letterpress applications include specialty packaging, foil stamping, die-cutting, and fine art or artisanal printing, where the tactile impression quality is valued. The market for new letterpress equipment is narrow, so trade flows under this heading are often dominated by used or restored machinery sourced from European manufacturers.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
11 shipments/mo
Basic heading 72661 · $210K of $175.6B
The SITC classification explicitly separates the two because flexographic presses use flexible elastomeric or photopolymer plates, fast-drying liquid inks, and are engineered for high-speed continuous-web substrates (films, foils, corrugated board) — a distinct industrial application from traditional rigid-plate letterpress. The exclusion ensures that flexo equipment, which dominates flexible packaging printing, is tracked and classified under its own dedicated heading (72663).
Combination platen presses that perform both letterpress printing and die-cutting in a single pass are generally classified by their principal function. If printing is the primary purpose and die-cutting is ancillary, the machine falls here; if die-cutting dominates, it may be classified as a cutting machine. Importers with true dual-function equipment should seek a CBP binding ruling to confirm the correct heading.
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Imports · July 2026
origin
Spain and China together supply 75% of it.
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
$210KYoY · Pro
Exports
$8KYoY · Pro
12-mo low · imports
YoY · ProFewer than 6 of the last 12 months reported trade above $500K; the trend chart is not shown for thin series.
Through July 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.