Trimtabist

The independent observatory for US trade — ship movements, customs records and policy events, measured and tested.

What South Korea actually pays on vacuum-molding machines and other thermoforming machines

Importers of HS 8477.40 (vacuum-molding machines and other thermoforming machines) from Korea, South actually paid 11.43% on the taxed portion of the value in 2026-06 — 11.43% across everything shipped, taxed or not. Measured from official duty receipts, not the rulebook: the statutory MFN base rate on this code is 3.1%. Over the window the rate on the taxed portion moved null% → 11.43%, with the largest single step +10pp in 2025-05. Measured from official US duty receipts · as-of 2026-06 · confidence: measured, not modelled. The HTS base rate is 3.1% — importers actually paid 11.43%, so the trade-war overlay added 8.3 pts, measured at the border (not a summed rulebook estimate). Reproduce exactly: tariff_story(hs: "8477.40", origin: "Korea, South") · see it at trimtabist.com/tariffs

South Korea paid 11.43% on HS 8477.40 — the schedule says 3.1% Collected rate on the taxed value — measured from US duty receipts, not the rulebook 11.43% HTS base 3.1% — the rulebook floor2023-122025-102026-06 Measured · as-of 2026-06 · Trimtab US Tariffs & Trade Ledger · trimtabist.com

HS 8477.40. The schedule base rate is 3.1%; importers from South Korea actually paid 11.43% on the dutiable value in 2026-06 — the trade-war overlay added 8.3 points, measured at the border. Measured, not modelled.

Over the window the collected rate moved % (2023-07) → 11.43% (2026-06), largest single step +10pp in 2025-05.

Landed cost vs the benchmark

Korea, South's lower duty (11.43% vs 38.1%) lets it price up to 23.9% above China at the factory and still match on duty-inclusive customs cost. But on the LATEST measured prices, China actually lands cheaper — $5/kg vs $8.59/kg (duty in, freight out).

Go deeper

All goods from South Korea · the whole tariff ledger · reproduce: tariff_story(hs: "8477.40", origin: "South Korea") via /connect. Not customs or legal advice.

In print: “What South Korea actually pays on vacuum-molding machines and other thermoforming machines (HS 8477.40)” — Trimtab US Trade Ledger (TT-010 Duty receipts), US Census imports-for-consumption records — trimtabist.com/tariff/847740/south-korea