A tool catalog is split across two chapters and at least four headings. Powered hand tools are 8467, hand tools are 8203 to 8205, drill bits and blades are 8207, and compressors and generators sit further away in 8414 and 8502. From China those lines now pay anywhere from 12.5 to 46.5 percent, and the spread has little to do with how expensive the tool is. It comes from which Section 301 list the line sits on, and whether a Section 232 metals duty takes over. This is a buyer's comparison of the software that classifies a whole tool catalog, with the 2026 duty by line and what it costs per SKU.
What is the best HS code classification software for tool importers?
For a US tool brand, hardware distributor or industrial supply house importing power tools, hand tools, accessories and small engines, the best fit is a classifier that returns the full 10-digit HTSUS code from a plain product description, reads the power source and the material, and shows the 2026 duty by country of origin on the same screen. TariffWise does that from $59 a month, with bulk CSV classification of a whole catalog on the $199 Growth plan. Distributors classifying for many countries may want an enterprise trade content suite, and a licensed customs broker is still the right call for contested lines and for filing the entry.
Generic lookups struggle with tools because catalog names describe the job. "Impact driver", "oscillating multi-tool", "mechanic's set" and "pro combo kit" do not tell the schedule whether the motor is electric or pneumatic, whether the tool is for metalworking, or whether a kit is a set put up for retail sale. Those facts decide the code, and on a China-made tool they can move the duty by more than 30 points.
Where tools sit in the US tariff schedule in 2026
Rates below are the column 1 general rate and the China total, read from the 2026 HTSUS, Revision 20. The China total adds the original Section 301 list rate, where the line is on one, and the 12.5 percent layer under heading 9903.05.31 that took effect on July 24, 2026.
| Product | HTSUS line | General rate | From China in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drills of all kinds, electric, including cordless | 8467.21.00 | 1.7% | 14.2% (no active 301 list plus 12.5%) |
| Electric saws, circular, jig and reciprocating | 8467.22.00 | Free | 12.5%, check Section 232 aluminum first |
| Angle grinders, sanders and other electric hand tools | 8467.29.00 | Free | 20% (List 4A 7.5% plus 12.5%), check Section 232 aluminum first |
| Pneumatic rotary tools, for metalworking | 8467.11.10 | 4.5% | 42% (List 1 plus 12.5%) |
| Pneumatic rotary tools, other | 8467.11.50 | Free | 37.5% (List 1 plus 12.5%) |
| Screwdrivers | 8205.40.00 | 6.2% | 43.7% (List 3 plus 12.5%) |
| Hammers, heads not over 1.5 kg | 8205.20.30 | 6.2% | 43.7% (List 3 plus 12.5%) |
| Wrenches and spanners, nonadjustable | 8204.11.00 | 9% | 46.5% (List 3 plus 12.5%) |
| Drill bits and other boring tools for cutting metal | 8207.50.40 | 8.4% | 45.9% (List 3 plus 12.5%) |
| Vises and clamps | 8205.70.00 | 5% | List 3 plus a Section 232 check |
| Air compressors (other than wheeled for towing) | 8414.80.16 | Free | List 3 plus a Section 232 check |
| Portable generators, spark-ignition engine | 8502.20.00 | 2% | List 3 plus a Section 232 check |
The surprise in that table is the drill. Heading 8467.21 and the saw line 8467.22 were on Section 301 List 4B, which was never put into effect, so a cordless drill from China carries only its 1.7 percent general rate and the July 24 layer. A screwdriver in the same blister pack carries List 3. A combo kit that bundles a drill, a driver bit set and a case is therefore a classification question, not a pricing one: as a set put up for retail sale it takes the code of the item that gives it its essential character, and getting that call wrong is worth about 30 points of duty on the whole kit.
The Section 232 check that comes before the 301 math
Several tool lines also appear in U.S. note 16 to Chapter 99, the Section 232 metals lists. Saws (8467.22) and other electric hand tools (8467.29) are listed as derivative aluminum articles, and vises, compressors and generators appear on the steel and aluminum lists too. Since April 2026 those duties apply to the full customs value, not the metal content, but only where the listed metal is at least 15 percent of the article's weight. An aluminum-bodied circular saw can cross that threshold where a plastic-housed one does not.
The order of operations matters. Goods covered by Section 232 are outside the July 24 forced-labor layer, so a tool that falls under 232 swaps one duty for another instead of adding both. You need the weight of the aluminum or steel per model before you can price it, which is exactly the field most supplier spec sheets leave out. A classifier that asks for the housing material and records it next to the code saves the second round of emails with the factory. The steel and aluminum importers comparison covers the 232 annexes and the reporting of melt and smelt countries in more depth.
Two lines where a weight or a word changes everything
Hammers split at 1.5 kg. A hammer with a head of 1.5 kg or less is 8205.20.30 at 6.2 percent, and a heavier head is 8205.20.60 at Free. The heavier side is also where the antidumping order on heavy forged hand tools from China has applied since 1991, covering hammers and sledges with heads over 1.5 kg, bars over 18 inches, wedges, picks, mattocks and axes, and Commerce continued that order after its fifth sunset review in 2022. So a sledgehammer that looks duty-free on the tariff can carry an antidumping cash deposit, and the head weight on the spec sheet decides which world it lives in.
Pneumatic tools split on use. A rotary air tool suitable for metalworking is 8467.11.10 at 4.5 percent, everything else in that group is 8467.11.50 at Free, and both sit on List 1. An impact wrench sold to auto shops is usually argued as metalworking. The 4.5 points look small until you multiply them by a container of impact wrenches, and the reasoning has to be on file if CBP asks.
Tool classification software compared
| Tool | Code depth | Shows why the code applies | Best for | Published pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TariffWise | 10-digit HTSUS with the 2026 duty stack by origin and landed cost | Yes, reasoning on every result plus runner-up codes | US tool brands, hardware distributors and industrial supply houses classifying before a purchase order | $59, $199, $499 a month |
| Gaia Dynamics | HS and HTS, several countries | Yes, with ruling citations | Brands selling into several markets, yearly billing | $99, $379, $1,399 a month, billed yearly |
| Quickcode | HTS with rulings and notes beside it | Yes, research panel | Brokers and classifiers who read rulings first | Free for 10 a month, then from $749 a month |
| GingerControl | HTS with stacked duty | Yes, interactive questions | Importers that also want refund and audit services | No published rate card |
| Descartes CustomsInfo | Multi-country tariff content | Research library | Large teams classifying for many countries | Not published |
| Licensed customs broker | 10-digit on the entry | On request | Contested products, AD scope and the entry itself | About $50 to $200 per product review |
The wider field is on the best HS code classification software roundup. Test any tool the same way: take ten products your team has argued about, including a cordless combo kit, an aluminum-housed saw, a 2 kg sledge, an air impact wrench and a drill bit set, and compare all ten digits and the stated reason. If your catalog also carries compressors, generators or bench machines, the HS code for machinery page covers Chapter 84 in more detail.
How much does it cost to classify a tool catalog?
| Catalog | Broker review at $50 to $200 each | TariffWise |
|---|---|---|
| 70 SKUs for a new cordless line | $3,500 to $14,000 | Starter, $59 for the month |
| 900 power tools, hand tools and accessories | $45,000 to $180,000 | Growth, $199 for the month, one CSV run |
| An 8,000-line industrial supply distributor | Rarely quoted per line at this size | Business, $499 for the month |
Run the catalog as a CSV once, with a description, power source, housing material and head or tool weight for each row. Read the reasoning on anything flagged and send the handful of contested items, usually the kits and anything near an antidumping scope, to your broker. Plans and seats are on the classification pricing page, and the import duty calculator prices a single line by origin.
Duty is also a cash-flow line. On a container of List 3 hand tools the duty can be close to half the factory invoice, paid at entry, weeks before the first distributor pays you. Finance teams that track it as its own budget usually catch a bad entry faster, and a budget alert on the account that pays CBP and the broker flags a jump the week an entry posts rather than at month end.
Questions tool importers ask before choosing a tool
What is the HS code for power tools?
Most handheld power tools are heading 8467. Electric drills are 8467.21, electric saws 8467.22, and grinders, sanders and other electric hand tools 8467.29. Pneumatic tools are 8467.11 and 8467.19. Stationary machines such as bench grinders and table saws on a stand usually move to the machine tool headings in 8460 to 8465.
What is the import duty on power tools from China?
It depends on the line. In October 2026 a cordless drill from China pays 14.2 percent, its 1.7 percent general rate plus the 12.5 percent layer from July 24, 2026, because drills are not on an active Section 301 list. A grinder in 8467.29 pays 20 percent with List 4A, and pneumatic rotary tools on List 1 pay 37.5 to 42 percent.
Are hand tools on the Section 301 list?
Yes, most of them. Screwdrivers, hammers, nonadjustable wrenches, vises and clamps, and drill bits for metal are all on Section 301 List 3 at 25 percent for goods of China. With the general rate and the 12.5 percent layer, a China-made screwdriver or hammer pays 43.7 percent and a wrench 46.5 percent.
Is a tool kit classified as one item or by each tool?
A kit that qualifies as a set put up for retail sale takes the code of the item that gives the set its essential character, under General Rule of Interpretation 3(b). A drill sold with bits and a case is usually classified as the drill. Some hand tool sets have their own lines, such as 8204.20 for socket wrenches with interchangeable sockets, so check those first.
Can software classify a whole tool catalog at once?
Yes. On TariffWise's Growth and Business plans you upload a CSV with a description, power source and material per row and get a 10-digit HTS code, the reasoning and the 2026 duty by origin for each line. A 900-line catalog is one run on the $199 plan.
Who is responsible if a tool is misclassified?
The importer of record. Under 19 USC 1484 you must use reasonable care in classifying your goods, whether a broker, a tool or an employee chose the code. Keep the spec sheet behind each code, because power source, housing material and head weight are the facts a CBP reviewer will ask for.