The independent observatory for US trade — ship movements,
customs records and policy events, measured and tested.
What China actually pays on light-emitting diode (led) lamps
Importers of HS 8539.52 (light-emitting diode (led) lamps) from China actually paid 11.77% on the taxed portion of the value in 2026-06 — 11.77% across everything shipped, taxed or not. Measured from official duty receipts, not the rulebook: the statutory MFN base rate on this code is 2%. Over the window the rate on the taxed portion moved 2% → 11.77%, with the largest single step +14.7pp in 2025-03. Measured from official US duty receipts · as-of 2026-06 · confidence: measured, not modelled. The HTS base rate is 2% — importers actually paid 11.77%, so the trade-war overlay added 9.8 pts, measured at the border (not a summed rulebook estimate). Reproduce exactly: tariff_story(hs: "8539.52", origin: "China") · see it at trimtabist.com/tariffs
HS 8539.52. The schedule base rate is
2%; importers from China actually paid 11.77% on the
dutiable value in 2026-06 — the trade-war overlay added 9.8 points, measured at the border. Measured, not modelled.
Over the window the collected rate moved 2% (2023-07) → 11.77% (2026-06), largest single step +14.7pp in 2025-03.
Landed cost vs the benchmark
China's lower duty (11.77% vs 12%) lets it price up to 0.2% above Vietnam at the factory and still match on duty-inclusive customs cost. But on the LATEST measured prices, China actually lands cheaper — $3.73/kg vs $7.54/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 light-emitting diode (led) lamps (HS 8539.52)” —
Trimtab US Trade Ledger (TT-010 Duty receipts), US Census imports-for-consumption records — trimtabist.com/tariff/853952/china