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HTS Code · Chapter 85 · Updated Oct 26, 2026

8523.49.50.00Optical media

Also written 8523495000 and 8523.49.5000

HTS Code 8523.49.50.00 covers any article best defined as Machinery and Mechanical Appliances; Electrical Equipment; Parts Thereof; Sound Recorders and Reproducers, Television Image and Sound Recorders and Reproducers, and Parts and Accessories of Such ArticlesElectrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articlesDiscs, tapes, solid-state non-volatile storage devices, "smart cards" and other media for the recording of sound or of other phenomena, whether or not recorded, including matrices and masters for the production of discs, but excluding products of Chapter 37:Optical media:Other:Other:Other in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule.

As of Oct 26, 2026, US imports of optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from China pay 20% in duties: a duty-free base rate plus Section 301 – China (7.5%) and Section 301 – Forced Labor (12.5%).

From China, the total duty on 8523.49.50.00 last changed on Jul 24, 2026, from 17.5% to 20%. It has changed 2 times since Nov 17, 2025.

Estimated Duty on 8523.49.50.00

$10,000.00 by ocean, entered Oct 26, 2026

China
Total duty
20%
$2,000.00 on this shipment
Fees
0.47%
MPF + HMF · $47.14
Duty + fees
20.47%
Payable to CBP
Landed cost
$12,047.14
On $10,000.00 customs value
  • Section 301 – China7.5%
  • Section 301 – Forced Labor12.5%
  • Customs fees0.47%

Chapter 99 lines9903.88.15Section 301 China: List 4A9903.05.31Section 301 Forced Labor – China

5 exemptions could lower this

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Base Duty Rates for 8523.49.50.00

From the Harmonized Tariff Schedule

General Rate of Duty
Free
Special Rate of Duty
—
Column 2 (Non-NTR)
80%
Units of Quantity
No.
Total duty by countryAll 20 →
  • China20%
  • Mexico10%
  • Canada60%
  • Vietnam12.5%
  • Germany10%

Tariff updates

Recent US tariff actions that name 8523.49.50.00 or its heading.

All tariff updates
Tariffs by country · Oct 26, 2026

US Import Duty on HTS 8523.49.50.00 by Country of Origin

As of Oct 26, 2026, US imports of optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from China pay 20% in duties: a duty-free base rate plus Section 301 – China (7.5%) and Section 301 – Forced Labor (12.5%). Of the 20 largest sources of US imports, the lowest total is 10%, from Mexico, Germany and 10 more.

Total duty from China
20%
Base rate plus 2 additional tariffs
Lowest total duty
10%
From Mexico, Germany and 10 more
Countries with additional tariffs
20 of 20
Section 232, 301 and other Chapter 99 duties
Country of originBase rateAdditional tariffsTotal duty
ChinaFree20%
MexicoFree10%0% with USMCA
CanadaFree60%50% with USMCA
VietnamFree12.5%
GermanyFree10%
JapanFree12.5%
South KoreaFree12.5%
TaiwanFree10%
IndiaFree10%
IrelandFree10%
ItalyFree10%
SwitzerlandFree12.5%
ThailandFree12.5%
MalaysiaFree10%
United KingdomFree10%
FranceFree10%
IndonesiaFree10%
BrazilFree37.5%
BangladeshFree10%
CambodiaFree10%
Duty from each country, in words
  • As of Oct 26, 2026, US imports of optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from China pay 20% in duties: a duty-free base rate plus Section 301 – China (7.5%) and Section 301 – Forced Labor (12.5%).
  • As of Oct 26, 2026, US imports of optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from Mexico pay 10% in duties: a duty-free base rate plus Section 301 – Forced Labor (10%). With USMCA, qualifying goods pay 0%.
  • As of Oct 26, 2026, US imports of optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from Canada pay 60% in duties: a duty-free base rate plus Section 301 – Forced Labor (10%) and Section 338 – Canada (50%). With USMCA, qualifying goods pay 50%.
  • As of Oct 26, 2026, US imports of optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from Vietnam pay 12.5% in duties: a duty-free base rate plus Section 301 – Forced Labor (12.5%).
  • As of Oct 26, 2026, US imports of optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from Germany pay 10% in duties: a duty-free base rate plus Section 301 – Forced Labor (10%).
  • As of Oct 26, 2026, US imports of optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from Japan pay 12.5% in duties: a duty-free base rate plus Section 301 – Forced Labor (12.5%).
  • As of Oct 26, 2026, US imports of optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from South Korea pay 12.5% in duties: a duty-free base rate plus Section 301 – Forced Labor (12.5%).
  • As of Oct 26, 2026, US imports of optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from Taiwan pay 10% in duties: a duty-free base rate plus Section 301 – Forced Labor (10%).
  • As of Oct 26, 2026, US imports of optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from India pay 10% in duties: a duty-free base rate plus Section 301 – Forced Labor (10%).
  • As of Oct 26, 2026, US imports of optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from Ireland pay 10% in duties: a duty-free base rate plus Section 301 – Forced Labor (10%).
  • As of Oct 26, 2026, US imports of optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from Italy pay 10% in duties: a duty-free base rate plus Section 301 – Forced Labor (10%).
  • As of Oct 26, 2026, US imports of optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from Switzerland pay 12.5% in duties: a duty-free base rate plus Section 301 – Forced Labor (12.5%).
  • As of Oct 26, 2026, US imports of optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from Thailand pay 12.5% in duties: a duty-free base rate plus Section 301 – Forced Labor (12.5%).
  • As of Oct 26, 2026, US imports of optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from Malaysia pay 10% in duties: a duty-free base rate plus Section 301 – Forced Labor (10%).
  • As of Oct 26, 2026, US imports of optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from United Kingdom pay 10% in duties: a duty-free base rate plus Section 301 – Forced Labor (10%).
  • As of Oct 26, 2026, US imports of optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from France pay 10% in duties: a duty-free base rate plus Section 301 – Forced Labor (10%).
  • As of Oct 26, 2026, US imports of optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from Indonesia pay 10% in duties: a duty-free base rate plus Section 301 – Forced Labor (10%).
  • As of Oct 26, 2026, US imports of optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from Brazil pay 37.5% in duties: a duty-free base rate plus Section 301 – Brazil (25%) and Section 301 – Forced Labor (12.5%).
  • As of Oct 26, 2026, US imports of optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from Bangladesh pay 10% in duties: a duty-free base rate plus Section 301 – Forced Labor (10%).
  • As of Oct 26, 2026, US imports of optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from Cambodia pay 10% in duties: a duty-free base rate plus Section 301 – Forced Labor (10%).

Duties on goods entered Oct 26, 2026 at the general rate (Column 2 where it applies), with tariff data verified through 2026 HTS Revision 20. Totals are before customs fees (MPF, HMF) and any antidumping or countervailing duties (AD/CVD); with a free account, the calculator checks the AD/CVD cases that may cover your import. Some tariffs and exemptions depend on details such as metal content or end use, which the calculator asks about. See US tariffs for every country.

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Example alert

New tariff action affects 1 of your imports

8523.49.50.00from China20% → 30%

Its rate today, if a new 10% tariff were added

Top origins · US imports 2025

Top Origins: Countries the US Imports HTS 8523.49.50.00 From

In 2025 the US imported $204M of optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00), down 25% on 2024, mostly from Mexico (66%), Japan (8%) and United Kingdom (7%). Each country's total duty today is shown beside its imports.

Country of originUS imports, 2025Sharevs 2024Total duty today
Mexico$135M66%1%10%0% with USMCA
Japan$15M8%79%12.5%
United Kingdom$14M7%89%10%
Germany$10M5%44%10%
South Korea$8M4%25%12.5%
Austria$6M3%16%10%
Canada$4M2%24%60%50% with USMCA
Australia$4M2%57%12.5%
Taiwan$2M1%85%10%
Poland$691K0%73%10%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, general imports. Duty on a $10,000 ocean shipment entered today, before customs fees. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Related codes

Other HTS Codes at This Level

Legal notes

Relevant HTS Notes

Official USITC notes that may affect classification under HTS 8523.49.50.00.

CBP rulings

Related CROSS Rulings for HTS 8523.49.50.00

CBP classification rulings related to 8523.49.50.00. Open a ruling to read how Customs classified a similar product.

No rulings found

No CROSS classification rulings were found for HTS code "8523.49.50".

Questions

HTS 8523.49.50.00 FAQ

Something else? Ask us.

What does HTS code 8523.49.50.00 cover?

HTS code 8523.49.50.00 covers optical media (Other), classified under Chapter 85 (Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles) in the US Harmonized Tariff Schedule. The general duty rate is Free.

What is the duty rate for HTS 8523.49.50.00?

The general (Column 1) rate of duty for HTS 8523.49.50.00 is Free. The Column 2 rate, for countries without normal trade relations, is 80%. Additional Chapter 99 tariffs, such as Section 301 and Section 232, can apply on top depending on the country of origin.

What is the US tariff on optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from China?

As of Oct 26, 2026, US imports of optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from China pay 20% in duties: a duty-free base rate plus Section 301 – China (7.5%) and Section 301 – Forced Labor (12.5%).

What is the US tariff on optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from Vietnam?

As of Oct 26, 2026, US imports of optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from Vietnam pay 12.5% in duties: a duty-free base rate plus Section 301 – Forced Labor (12.5%).

What is the US tariff on optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from Mexico?

As of Oct 26, 2026, US imports of optical media (HTS 8523.49.50.00) from Mexico pay 10% in duties: a duty-free base rate plus Section 301 – Forced Labor (10%). Goods that qualify for USMCA pay 0%.

Where does the US import HTS 8523.49.50.00 from?

In 2025 the US imported $204M of optical media under HTS 8523.49.50.00, mostly from Mexico (66%), Japan (8%) and United Kingdom (7%), according to U.S. Census Bureau import data.

Which country has the lowest US duty on HTS 8523.49.50.00?

Of the 20 largest sources of US imports, the lowest total duty on HTS 8523.49.50.00 is 10%, from Mexico, Germany and 10 more, as of the tariffs in effect on 2026-10-26.

Sources

Primary Sources

The official documents behind the rates and tariffs on this page. Duties are worked out from them as of Revision 20 (2026); check the legal text before you file.