The independent observatory for US trade — ship movements,
customs records and policy events, measured and tested.
What France actually pays on to be installed in vehicles of subheading 8701.21, 8701.22,
Importers of HS 8408.20 (to be installed in vehicles of subheading 8701.21, 8701.22, ) from France actually paid 21.8% on the taxed portion of the value in 2026-06 — 21.8% across everything shipped, taxed or not. Measured from official duty receipts, not the rulebook: the statutory MFN base rate on this code is 2.5%. Over the window the rate on the taxed portion moved 2.5% → 21.8%, with the largest single step +13.3pp in 2025-09. Measured from official US duty receipts · as-of 2026-06 · confidence: measured, not modelled. The HTS base rate is 2.5% — importers actually paid 21.8%, so the trade-war overlay added 19.3 pts, measured at the border (not a summed rulebook estimate). Reproduce exactly: tariff_story(hs: "8408.20", origin: "France") · see it at trimtabist.com/tariffs
HS 8408.20. The schedule base rate is
2.5%; importers from France actually paid 21.8% on the
dutiable value in 2026-06 — the trade-war overlay added 19.3 points, measured at the border. Measured, not modelled.
Over the window the collected rate moved 2.5% (2023-07) → 21.8% (2026-06), largest single step +13.3pp in 2025-09.
Landed cost vs the benchmark
France's lower duty (21.8% vs 44.93%) lets it price up to 19% above China at the factory and still match on duty-inclusive customs cost. But on the LATEST measured prices, France actually lands cheaper — $20.94/kg vs $21.81/kg (duty in, freight out).
The trade-war measures that name France or this sector
15 Chapter-99 measures name France; 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.
Notice of Determination and Action Pursuant to Section 301: Enforcement of U.S. WTO Rights in Large Civil Airc measure 9903.89.10 · Federal Register citation+25%
Notice of Determination and Action Pursuant to Section 301: Enforcement of U.S. WTO Rights in Large Civil Airc measure 9903.89.13 · Federal Register citation+25%
Notice of Determination and Action Pursuant to Section 301: Enforcement of U.S. WTO Rights in Large Civil Airc measure 9903.89.16 · Federal Register citation+25%
Notice of Determination and Action Pursuant to Section 301: Enforcement of U.S. WTO Rights in Large Civil Airc measure 9903.89.19 · Federal Register citation+25%
Notice of Determination and Action Pursuant to Section 301: Enforcement of U.S. WTO Rights in Large Civil Airc measure 9903.89.22 · Federal Register citation+25%
Notice of Determination and Action Pursuant to Section 301: Enforcement of U.S. WTO Rights in Large Civil Airc measure 9903.89.25 · Federal Register citation+25%
Notice of Determination and Action Pursuant to Section 301: Enforcement of U.S. WTO Rights in Large Civil Airc measure 9903.89.28 · Federal Register citation+25%
Notice of Determination and Action Pursuant to Section 301: Enforcement of U.S. WTO Rights in Large Civil Airc measure 9903.89.31 · Federal Register citation+25%
In print: “What France actually pays on to be installed in vehicles of subheading 8701.21, 8701.22, (HS 8408.20)” —
Trimtab US Trade Ledger (TT-010 Duty receipts), US Census imports-for-consumption records — trimtabist.com/tariff/840820/france