The independent observatory for US trade — ship movements,
customs records and policy events, measured and tested.
What United Kingdom actually pays on backhoes, shovels, clamshells and draglines
Importers of HS 8429.59 (backhoes, shovels, clamshells and draglines) from United Kingdom actually paid 19.43% on the taxed portion of the value in 2026-06 — 18.65% across everything shipped, taxed or not. Measured from official duty receipts, not the rulebook: the statutory MFN base rate on this code is Free. Over the window the rate on the taxed portion moved null% → 19.43%, with the largest single step +10pp in 2025-04. Measured from official US duty receipts · as-of 2026-06 · confidence: measured, not modelled. The HTS base rate is Free — importers actually paid 19.43%, so the trade-war overlay added 19.4 pts, measured at the border (not a summed rulebook estimate). Reproduce exactly: tariff_story(hs: "8429.59", origin: "United Kingdom") · see it at trimtabist.com/tariffs
HS 8429.59. The schedule base rate is
Free; importers from United Kingdom actually paid 19.43% on the
dutiable value in 2026-06 — the trade-war overlay added 19.4 points, measured at the border. Measured, not modelled.
Over the window the collected rate moved % (2023-07) → 19.43% (2026-06), largest single step +10pp in 2025-04.
Landed cost vs the benchmark
United Kingdom's lower duty (18.65% vs 49.93%) lets it price up to 26.4% above China at the factory and still match on duty-inclusive customs cost. But on the LATEST measured prices, China actually lands cheaper — $7.53/kg vs $20.24/kg (duty in, freight out).
The trade-war measures that name United Kingdom or this sector
15 Chapter-99 measures name United Kingdom; 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.
Procedures for Submissions by Certain Steel and Aluminum Producers Committing to New U.S. Steel or Aluminum… measure 9903.82.04 · Federal Register citation+25%
Notice of Determination and Action Pursuant to Section 301: Enforcement of U.S. WTO Rights in Large Civil Airc measure 9903.89.10 · 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%
In print: “What United Kingdom actually pays on backhoes, shovels, clamshells and draglines (HS 8429.59)” —
Trimtab US Trade Ledger (TT-010 Duty receipts), US Census imports-for-consumption records — trimtabist.com/tariff/842959/united-kingdom