U.S. exports of battery-powered wrist watches with precious metal cases (SITC 88531) totaled $71.4M in July 2026.
Importers of Battery-Powered Wrist Watches with Precious Metal Cases paid $4.0M in duties in July 2026 — an effective duty rate of 17% on $23.5M in dutiable value, based on actual customs collections rather than the published tariff schedule. Battery-Powered Wrist Watches with Precious Metal Cases imports of $30.5M in July 2026 ran 28% above the year-to-date monthly average of $23.9M.
Last updated: July 2026 dataBattery-powered wrist watches — including those with stopwatch functions — housed in cases of gold, silver, platinum, or precious-metal-clad base metal occupy a premium tier in the horological import market, where case material is the primary classification driver. Luxury watch importers should note that the precious-metal case distinction separates these pieces from the far larger volume of base-metal-cased quartz watches, affecting both duty treatment and valuation methodology at entry. Swiss and Japanese brands dominate the high-end battery-powered segment, and declared transaction value for luxury goods is subject to heightened CBP scrutiny.
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1.6K shipments/mo
Basic heading 184 of 419 in section 8
Basic heading 88531 · $30.5M of $44.8B
CBP applies the standard that the case must be composed of, or clad (plated or laminated) with, a recognized precious metal — gold, silver, platinum, or palladium. Cases that are merely gold-colored or coated with a non-precious alloy do not qualify; importers should obtain material composition documentation from the manufacturer to support the classification.
No. The heading explicitly covers battery-powered wrist watches 'whether or not incorporating a stop watch facility,' so the presence of a chronograph or elapsed-time function does not shift the classification — the decisive factors remain the power source (battery) and the case material (precious metal or clad).
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Exports · July 2026
destination
Hong Kong and Switzerland together take 91% of it.
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
$30.5MYoY · Pro
Exports
$71.4MYoY · Pro
12-mo low · imports
YoY · ProThrough July 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.