The independent observatory for US trade — ship movements,
customs records and policy events, measured and tested.
What France actually pays on battery clamps of a kind used in motor vehicles of heading 8
Importers of HS 8536.90 (battery clamps of a kind used in motor vehicles of heading 8) from France actually paid 13.73% on the taxed portion of the value in 2026-06 — 13.27% across everything shipped, taxed or not. Measured from official duty receipts, not the rulebook: the statutory MFN base rate on this code is 2.7%. Over the window the rate on the taxed portion moved null% → 13.73%, with the largest single step +16.6pp in 2025-03. Measured from official US duty receipts · as-of 2026-06 · confidence: measured, not modelled. The HTS base rate is 2.7% — importers actually paid 13.73%, so the trade-war overlay added 11 pts, measured at the border (not a summed rulebook estimate). Reproduce exactly: tariff_story(hs: "8536.90", origin: "France") · see it at trimtabist.com/tariffs
HS 8536.90. The schedule base rate is
2.7%; importers from France actually paid 13.73% on the
dutiable value in 2026-06 — the trade-war overlay added 11 points, measured at the border. Measured, not modelled.
Over the window the collected rate moved % (2023-07) → 13.73% (2026-06), largest single step +16.6pp in 2025-03.
Landed cost vs the benchmark
France's lower duty (13.27% vs 31.93%) lets it price up to 16.5% above China at the factory and still match on duty-inclusive customs cost. But on the LATEST measured prices, China actually lands cheaper — $7.86/kg vs $25.28/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 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 France actually pays on battery clamps of a kind used in motor vehicles of heading 8 (HS 8536.90)” —
Trimtab US Trade Ledger (TT-010 Duty receipts), US Census imports-for-consumption records — trimtabist.com/tariff/853690/france