U.S. imports of Printing Type, Blocks, Plates & Other Printing Components (SITC 72635) totaled $7.2M in August 2026, imported from 31 countries.
Importers of Printing Type, Blocks, Plates & Other Printing Components paid $340K in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 4.75% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule. Printing Type, Blocks, Plates & Other Printing Components imports of $7.2M in August 2026 ran 131% above the year-to-date monthly average of $3.1M.
Last updated: August 2026 dataPrepared printing plates, cylinders, lithographic stones, and type — the consumable or semi-durable components that carry the image in a pressroom — are traded separately from the presses that use them, reflecting distinct supply chains for platemaking materials and finished press hardware. Photopolymer flexo plates, aluminum offset plates, and gravure cylinders each serve different press technologies and end-use markets, from flexible packaging to publication printing. Classification hinges on whether the item is a prepared (image-ready) component versus a blank substrate, which affects both the applicable heading and any applicable trade-remedy exposure.
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232 import shipments a month
No. Blank or sensitized-but-unexposed plates are generally classified as photographic or chemical products rather than as prepared printing components. Only plates that have been processed and are ready for mounting on a press — i.e., carrying a developed image — fall squarely within this heading. Importers dealing in both forms should verify classification with a licensed customs broker to avoid misclassification.
Trade-remedy exposure depends on the country of origin and the specific material composition of the cylinder. Antidumping or countervailing duty orders can apply to certain steel or copper products that may encompass gravure cylinders; importers should check current CBP and Commerce Department orders against the specific HTS subheading applicable to their product before entry.
Basic heading 449 of 642 in section 7
Basic heading 72635 · $7.2M of $172.0B
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Imports · August 2026
origin
Italy and China together supply 68% of it. China pays 20.5% duty; Italy 0.1%.
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
$7.2MYoY · free account
Exports
$3.6MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $33.1M of Printing Type, Blocks, Plates & Other Printing Components.
Through August 2026 · exports 10 of 12 months reported. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.