Standard International Trade Classification
U.S. exports of Spectrometers, Spectrophotometers & Spectrographs Using Optical Radiation (SITC 87443) totaled $79.5M in August 2026.
Importers of Spectrometers, Spectrophotometers & Spectrographs Using Optical Radiation paid $3.5M in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 7.33% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule.
Last updated: August 2026 dataOptical spectrometers operating across ultraviolet, visible, and infrared wavelengths—including UV-Vis spectrophotometers, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) analyzers, and atomic absorption spectrometers—are classified here and serve as foundational tools in materials science, environmental testing, and pharmaceutical release testing. The wavelength range and detection principle are the primary classification anchors: instruments using non-optical radiation (X-ray, nuclear magnetic resonance) fall outside this heading. Trade in these instruments is globally competitive, with manufacturers across multiple continents supplying the US market, and Section 301 exposure varies by origin and HTS subheading.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
1.2K import shipments a month
No. XRF instruments use X-ray radiation rather than ultraviolet, visible, or infrared optical radiation, so they fall outside 87443. They are typically classified under instruments using non-optical radiation in a separate heading. The radiation type—not the analytical output—is the controlling classification criterion.
Instruments spanning UV, visible, and near-infrared ranges remain within the optical radiation scope of 87443, since NIR is part of the infrared spectrum covered by the heading. The key is that the instrument relies on optical (electromagnetic) radiation in those bands. Importers should document the wavelength range in technical specifications to support classification if questioned by CBP.
Basic heading 46 of 419 in section 8
Basic heading 87443 · $79.5M of $18.4B
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Exports · August 2026
destination
customs district
Census does not publish district detail for this classification system.
origin
Census does not publish state detail for this classification system.
entry
Census does not publish port detail for this classification system.
ImportsExports
Imports
$47.2MYoY · free account
Exports
$79.5MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $555.7M of Spectrometers, Spectrophotometers & Spectrographs Using Optical Radiation.
Through August 2026 · exports 11 of 12 months reported. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.