HS code by category
HS code for machinery: Chapter 84 HTS codes and duty
Machinery and mechanical equipment live in Chapter 84, where most base rates run from Free to about five percent. The catch for capital-equipment importers is not the base rate, it is the Section 232 and Section 301 layers stacked on top. Describe your machine on the right and the AI returns the HS/HTS code with its reasoning.
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The short answer
There is no single HS code for machinery. Mechanical machines and appliances classify across Chapter 84 by function: pumps for liquids in heading 8413, air and gas compressors in 8414, air conditioning in 8415, refrigerating equipment in 8418, industrial furnaces in 8417, taps and valves in 8481, ball and roller bearings in 8482, machine tools in 8457 to 8459, and a catch-all for machines with individual functions in 8479. Most Chapter 84 base rates fall between Free and about five percent, with a few known outliers like ball bearings at nine percent. The number that actually moves for a capital-equipment importer in 2026 is the layer on top: a Section 232 duty if the machine contains covered steel, aluminum or copper, and a Section 301 duty if it is made in China. Get the classification right first, because both of those layers key off the code and the origin.
Anatomy of a code: a centrifugal pump
8413.70
- 84
- Chapter: nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances, and parts thereof.
- 8413
- Heading: pumps for liquids, whether or not fitted with a measuring device, and liquid elevators.
- 8413.70
- Subheading: other centrifugal pumps. This international six-digit level is the same worldwide.
- .20
- US digits: the Harmonized Tariff Schedule sets the rate at the eight-digit line (8413.70.20, Free); a further two digits report the pump type for statistics only.
Where common machinery classifies
A starting map, not a ruling. Rates below are US Column 1 (MFN) base rates and vary by exact subheading, so treat them as direction. A Free or low base rate does not settle the total: Section 232 and Section 301 can stack on top by content and origin. Confirm your machine with the classifier above before you file.
8413
Pumps for liquids
Centrifugal, reciprocating and rotary pumps. Most lines Free at the base.
8414
Air and gas compressors
Compressors, fans and blowers. Many Free; some catch-all lines around 3.7%.
8415
Air conditioning machines
Self-contained and split systems. Base rate Free to about 2.2% by type.
8418
Refrigerating equipment
Combined refrigerator-freezers and commercial refrigeration. 8418.10 Free.
8417
Industrial furnaces and ovens
Non-electric furnaces for metals and heat treatment. Around 2.9%.
8481
Taps, cocks and valves
Valves by body material: iron or steel about 5.6%, other materials 2 to 4%.
8482
Ball and roller bearings
The known outlier: other ball bearings (8482.10.50) carry a 9% base rate.
8457 / 8458 / 8459
Machine tools (CNC)
Machining centers, lathes and milling machines. Base rate about 4.2 to 4.4%.
8479
Machines with individual functions
The Chapter 84 catch-all when no specific heading fits. Free to about 2.8%.
How to find the HS code for a machine
Start with the machine's function, because Chapter 84 headings are organized around what a machine does. A pump is 8413, a compressor is 8414, a furnace is 8417, a valve is 8481, a bearing is 8482, a metal-cutting machine tool is one of 8457 to 8461. If no specific heading describes the machine's principal function, it usually falls to heading 8479, the chapter's catch-all for machines with individual functions, which is also one of the most heavily litigated headings there is. The trickier question is Chapter 84 versus Chapter 85: a device whose essential character is electrical, like a motor or generator, belongs in Chapter 85, while a mechanical machine that merely contains a motor stays in 84. Both chapters sit under Section XVI and share the same rules, so they are read together. For the general method that works on any product, see the Harmonized System code guide.
Classifying parts, and the functional-unit rule
Parts are where machinery classification goes wrong most often. Under Section XVI Note 2, a part that is itself a good described by its own Chapter 84 or 85 heading is classified in that heading, not as a part of the finished machine. A pump that goes into a larger production line is still a pump in 8413. Only parts that do not have their own heading, and are used solely or principally with one machine, follow that machine, and the true leftovers fall to a basket heading like 8487. There is a second rule worth knowing: Section XVI Note 4, the functional-unit rule, says that when several components are shipped to contribute together to one clearly defined function, the whole system is classified under the single heading for that function rather than piece by piece. A packaging line of separate but interconnected machines can be one classification, not ten.
The layers that actually decide machinery duty in 2026
For capital equipment the base rate is often the smallest part of the bill. Two trade actions stack on top and both are easy to underestimate. Section 232 was expanded in August 2025 to add more than four hundred derivative HTS codes, many of them Chapter 84 machinery and parts lines, and since April 2026 it is assessed on the full customs value of a covered article rather than only its metal content. That means a pump or compressor with a steel or aluminum body can owe a metals duty on the whole machine, at tiered rates that reach 50 percent, unless its covered-metal content is at or below the 15 percent threshold. Separately, machinery made in China is largely on Section 301 Lists 1 to 3 at 25 percent, with a narrower slice on List 4A at 7.5 percent. Check the Section 232 derivative lists against your codes, confirm the origin, then build the layers in the import duty calculator. Because these actions have been changing month to month, verify the current rate on CBP guidance for the week you file.
Machinery HS code questions, answered
What is the HS code for industrial machinery?
There is no single code. Industrial machinery classifies across HTS Chapter 84 by function: pumps in 8413, compressors in 8414, furnaces in 8417, valves in 8481, bearings in 8482, machine tools in 8457 to 8459, and a catch-all for machines with individual functions in 8479. The correct ten-digit code depends on the machine specific function and construction, not a generic machinery label.
What is the import duty on machinery from China?
Machinery from China can owe three layers. The Chapter 84 base rate is often Free to about five percent. On top, Section 301 adds 25 percent on most industrial machinery under Lists 1 to 3, or 7.5 percent on List 4A items. If the machine contains covered steel or aluminum, a Section 232 derivative duty can also apply on the full customs value. Verify current rates before you file.
Is machinery exempt from Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs?
Not automatically. An August 2025 expansion added more than four hundred HTS codes, including many Chapter 84 machinery and parts subheadings, to the Section 232 derivative list. Since April 2026 the duty applies to the full customs value of the machine, not just its metal content, unless the covered-metal content is at or below the 15 percent threshold. Check the derivative lists against your codes.
What is the difference between Chapter 84 and Chapter 85?
Chapter 84 covers mechanical machinery such as pumps, engines, compressors and machine tools. Chapter 85 covers electrical machinery and equipment such as motors as electrical devices, generators and transformers. An electromechanical product is classified by which function carries its essential character, decided case by case, and both chapters sit under Section XVI and share the same rules for parts and composite machines.
How are spare parts for machinery classified?
Under Section XVI Note 2, a part that is itself a good described by its own Chapter 84 or 85 heading is classified there directly, not as a part of the finished machine. A part suitable solely or principally for one machine type follows that machine heading, and everything left over falls to a basket parts heading such as 8487. So a component often has its own code rather than inheriting the machine code.
Classify your machine now, keep the rationale for your entry file.
Related: HS code lookup by product, HS code for medical devices.