The independent observatory for US trade — ship movements,
customs records and policy events, measured and tested.
What China actually pays on HS 8517.79
Importers of HS 8517.79 (other) from China actually paid 17.12% on the taxed portion of the value in 2026-06 — 16.49% 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 7.23% → 17.12%, with the largest single step +15.6pp in 2025-03. Measured from official US duty receipts · as-of 2026-06 · confidence: measured, not modelled. The HTS base rate is Free — importers actually paid 17.12%, so the trade-war overlay added 17.1 pts, measured at the border (not a summed rulebook estimate). Reproduce exactly: tariff_story(hs: "8517.79", origin: "China") · see it at trimtabist.com/tariffs
HS 8517.79. The schedule base rate is
Free; importers from China actually paid 17.12% on the
dutiable value in 2026-06 — the trade-war overlay added 17.1 points, measured at the border. Measured, not modelled.
Over the window the collected rate moved 7.23% (2023-07) → 17.12% (2026-06), largest single step +15.6pp in 2025-03.
Landed cost vs the benchmark
Vietnam's lower duty (9.83% vs 16.49%) lets it price up to 6.1% above China at the factory and still match on duty-inclusive customs cost. But on the LATEST measured prices, China actually lands cheaper — $23.07/kg vs $23.75/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.
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%
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%
Notice of Modification: China's Acts, Policies and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Prop measure 9903.91.07 · Federal Register citation+50%
9903.01.64 measure 9903.01.64+35%
Notice of Implementation of Additional Duties on Products of the People's Republic of China Pursuant to the… measure 9903.01.63 · Federal Register citation+34%
In print: “What China actually pays on HS 8517.79 (HS 8517.79)” —
Trimtab US Trade Ledger (TT-010 Duty receipts), US Census imports-for-consumption records — trimtabist.com/tariff/851779/china