The independent observatory for US trade — ship movements,
customs records and policy events, measured and tested.
What Germany actually pays on spark plugs
Importers of HS 8511.10 (spark plugs) from Germany actually paid 13.37% on the taxed portion of the value in 2026-06 — 13.3% 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% → 13.37%, with the largest single step +11.4pp in 2025-05. Measured from official US duty receipts · as-of 2026-06 · confidence: measured, not modelled. The HTS base rate is 2.5% — importers actually paid 13.37%, so the trade-war overlay added 10.9 pts, measured at the border (not a summed rulebook estimate). Reproduce exactly: tariff_story(hs: "8511.10", origin: "Germany") · see it at trimtabist.com/tariffs
HS 8511.10. The schedule base rate is
2.5%; importers from Germany actually paid 13.37% on the
dutiable value in 2026-06 — the trade-war overlay added 10.9 points, measured at the border. Measured, not modelled.
Over the window the collected rate moved 2.5% (2023-07) → 13.37% (2026-06), largest single step +11.4pp in 2025-05.
Landed cost vs the benchmark
Germany's lower duty (13.3% vs 40.53%) lets it price up to 24% above China at the factory and still match on duty-inclusive customs cost. But on the LATEST measured prices, China actually lands cheaper — $27.07/kg vs $90.96/kg (duty in, freight out).
The trade-war measures that name Germany or this sector
15 Chapter-99 measures name Germany; 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 Implementation of Additional Duties on Products of India Pursuant to the President's Executive Order measure 9903.01.84 · Federal Register citation+25%
9903.79.01 measure 9903.79.01+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%
In print: “What Germany actually pays on spark plugs (HS 8511.10)” —
Trimtab US Trade Ledger (TT-010 Duty receipts), US Census imports-for-consumption records — trimtabist.com/tariff/851110/germany