Components · connectors and cable assemblies
Tariffs on connectors and cable assemblies from China
Most electrical connectors from China pay between 37.5% and 41% in US duty in October 2026. Cable assemblies fitted with connectors can pay more, because since April 2026 the Section 232 copper duty is charged on their full value. And any of these lines can move to a different stack if the importer certifies it as an auto part. This page sets out each case by tariff line.
The tariff lines
| HTS | Product | MFN | Section 301 list |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8536.69.40 | Connectors: coaxial, cylindrical multicontact, rack and panel, printed circuit, ribbon or flat cable | Free | List 1, 25% |
| 8536.69.80 | Other plugs and sockets | 2.7% | List 3, 25% |
| 8536.70.00 | Connectors for optical fibers, bundles or cables | Free | List 2, 25% |
| 8536.90.40 | Terminals, electrical splices and couplings, wafer probers | Free | List 1, 25% |
| 8536.90.60 | Battery clamps for motor vehicles | 2.7% | List 4A, 7.5% |
| 8536.90.85 | Other (including junction boxes and distribution ducts) | Free | List 1, 25% |
| 8538.90.10–.81 | Parts of switching and connecting apparatus | Free–3.5% | Lists 1 and 3, 25% |
| 8544.42.10, .20, .90 | Insulated conductors fitted with connectors, up to 1,000 V (cable assemblies) | Free–2.6% | List 3, 25% |
| 8544.49 | Insulated conductors, up to 1,000 V, without connectors | Free–5.3% | Lists 1 and 2, 25% |
From the USITC tariff schedule, 2026 Revision 21; list membership from chapter 99 U.S. note 20. None of these lines was raised in the 2024 Section 301 review. Where a terminal ends and a connector begins, or whether a vehicle harness is 8544.42 or 8544.30, is a classification question for each product.
Three possible duty stacks
Which stack applies depends on what the product is made of and what it is used for. The totals are our sums of the published rates.
| Line | Base case: MFN + 301 + 12.5% | Section 232 metals | Certified auto part |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8536.69.40 connectors | 37.5% | Not listed | 50% |
| 8536.69.80 plugs and sockets | 40.2% | Not listed | 52.7% |
| 8536.90.40 terminals | 37.5% | Not listed | 50% |
| 8536.90.60 battery clamps | 22.7% | Not listed | 35.2% |
| 8538.90.30–.81 parts | 41% | Not listed | 53.5% |
| 8544.42.10, .20 cable assemblies | 37.5% | 50% | 50% |
| 8544.42.90 cable assemblies | 40.1% | 52.6% | 52.6% |
Base case
Normal duty, plus the China Section 301 duty for the line's list, plus the 12.5% Section 301 forced-labor tariff. None of these lines is exempt from the 12.5% under U.S. note 52(b) or (c); optical-fiber connectors (8536.70.00) are exempt only when they qualify under the civil-aircraft provision in note 52(d).
Section 232 metals: cable assemblies
Cable assemblies at 8544.42.10, .20 and .90 and bare cable at 8544.49.10 are on the "articles of copper" list in U.S. note 16; 8544.42.90 and some others are also on the aluminum-derivative list. The copper duty began on August 1, 2025 at 50% of the copper content (Proclamation 10962). Proclamation 11021 of April 2, 2026, effective April 6, changed the basis to the full customs value with a 25% rate for these articles (text). Sources still quoting "50% on copper content" for cable assemblies are out of date.
The 25% (heading 9903.82.09) applies when the metal is at least 15% of the article's weight. A Section 232 good does not also pay the 12.5% forced-labor duty (note 52(f)), but nothing we found removes Section 301, so the stack is MFN + 25% + 25%. Plain connectors (8536.69, 8536.70, 8536.90.40, 8538.90) are on no note 16 list.
Certified auto parts
Heading 9903.94.07 (+25%) applies to an automobile part the importer certifies is for US vehicle production or repair, without a list of tariff lines; 9903.74.09 does the same for medium- and heavy-duty vehicle parts. On that route the metals duty and the 12.5% fall away and Section 301 stays. We have not found CBP guidance on when that certification is optional and when it is required, so take it to your broker before relying on it.
Exclusions that end on November 9
Four of the 178 Section 301 exclusions still in force touch these lines: certain ring terminals (8536.90.4000), telecom cable assemblies valued between $0.35 and $2 each (8544.42.2000), patient-monitor lead bundles and solar junction-box assemblies (both 8544.42.9090). Each covers only the product its description names, and all end at the close of November 9, 2026 unless extended: see Section 301 exclusions expiring November 9. Many older connector exclusions are still printed in expired parts of note 20; they are no longer in force.
Defense contracts
- The Chinese-material ban in 10 U.S.C. 4872 covers magnets, tungsten, tantalum and molybdenum, not connectors as such.
- DFARS 252.225-7009 restricts specialty metals (certain steels, nickel, cobalt and titanium alloys) from non-qualifying countries and has an exception for electronic components. Whether a passive connector counts as one is a question for the contracting officer; we found no ruling.
- DFARS 252.246-7008 requires electronic parts to come from trusted sources. It does not name countries.
Copper and forced labor
DHS added copper to the UFLPA's high-priority sectors on August 19, 2025. Cable assemblies are built on copper conductor, so the forced-labor presumption applies to their supply chain even when the tariff question is settled. See the UFLPA for battery and mineral importers.
Sources: USITC HTS 2026 Revision 21 (chapters 85 and 99; U.S. notes 16, 20, 33, 38 and 52); Proclamations 10962, 11021 and 11032; 10 U.S.C. 4872; DFARS 252.225-7009 and 252.246-7008; DHS UFLPA strategy update of August 19, 2025. Last checked October 14, 2026. General information, not customs advice.
Last checked 2026-10-14