Importers of HS 8539.52 (light-emitting diode (led) lamps) from Thailand actually paid 12% on the taxed portion of the value in 2026-06 — 12% 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 1.99% → 12%, with the largest single step +7.5pp in 2025-05. Measured from official US duty receipts · as-of 2026-06 · confidence: measured, not modelled. The HTS base rate is 2% — importers actually paid 12%, so the trade-war overlay added 10 pts, measured at the border (not a summed rulebook estimate). Reproduce exactly: tariff_story(hs: "8539.52", origin: "Thailand") · see it at trimtabist.com/tariffs
HS 8539.52. The schedule base rate is 2%; importers from Thailand actually paid 12% on the dutiable value in 2026-06 — the trade-war overlay added 10 points, measured at the border. Measured, not modelled.
Over the window the collected rate moved 1.99% (2023-07) → 12% (2026-06), largest single step +7.5pp in 2025-05.
China's lower duty (11.77% vs 12%) lets it price up to 0.2% above Thailand 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 $10.46/kg (duty in, freight out).
2 Chapter-99 measures name Thailand; 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.
All goods from Thailand · the whole tariff ledger · reproduce: tariff_story(hs: "8539.52", origin: "Thailand") via /connect. Not customs or legal advice.