The independent observatory for US trade — ship movements,
customs records and policy events, measured and tested.
What China actually pays on portable
Importers of HS 7321.81 (portable) from China actually paid 30.74% on the taxed portion of the value in 2026-06 — 30.33% across everything shipped, taxed or not. Measured from official duty receipts, not the rulebook: the statutory MFN base rate on this code is 2.9%. Over the window the rate on the taxed portion moved 5.49% → 30.74%, with the largest single step +24.7pp in 2025-03. Measured from official US duty receipts · as-of 2026-06 · confidence: measured, not modelled. The HTS base rate is 2.9% — importers actually paid 30.74%, so the trade-war overlay added 27.8 pts, measured at the border (not a summed rulebook estimate). Reproduce exactly: tariff_story(hs: "7321.81", origin: "China") · see it at trimtabist.com/tariffs
HS 7321.81. The schedule base rate is
2.9%; importers from China actually paid 30.74% on the
dutiable value in 2026-06 — the trade-war overlay added 27.8 points, measured at the border. Measured, not modelled.
Over the window the collected rate moved 5.49% (2023-07) → 30.74% (2026-06), largest single step +24.7pp in 2025-03.
Landed cost vs the benchmark
Vietnam's lower duty (26.95% vs 30.33%) lets it price up to 2.7% above China at the factory and still match on duty-inclusive customs cost. But on the LATEST measured prices, China actually lands cheaper — $2.71/kg vs $6.35/kg (duty in, freight out).
The trade-war measures that name China or this sector
15 Chapter-99 measures name China; scope mapping is partial (several annexes are PDFs) — absence never means exemption. They do not sum, and some are product-specific — the collected rate above is the composed truth.
Implementation of Duties on Aluminum Pursuant to Proclamation 10895 Adjusting Imports of Aluminum Into the Uni measure 9903.85.67 · Federal Register citation+200%
Notice of Modification: China's Acts, Policies and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Prop measure 9903.91.03 · Federal Register citation+100%
Notice of Modification: China's Acts, Policies and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Prop measure 9903.91.08 · Federal Register citation+100%
Notice of Modification and Proposed Modification of Section 301 Action: China's Targeting of the Maritime, Log measure 9903.91.14 · Federal Register citation+100%
Procedures for Submissions by Certain Steel and Aluminum Producers Committing to New U.S. Steel or Aluminum… measure 9903.82.02 · Federal Register citation+50%
9903.82.14 measure 9903.82.14+50%
Notice of Modification: China's Acts, Policies and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Prop measure 9903.91.02 · Federal Register citation+50%
Notice of Modification: China's Acts, Policies and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Prop measure 9903.91.05 · Federal Register citation+50%
In print: “What China actually pays on portable (HS 7321.81)” —
Trimtab US Trade Ledger (TT-010 Duty receipts), US Census imports-for-consumption records — trimtabist.com/tariff/732181/china