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United States Import Duty Rate for Trucks & Commercial Vehicles

HS 8704 · Motor vehicles for transport of goods

United States MFN Import Duty Rate

Live

25% (light) / 4% (heavy)

on FOB value

CUSMA: 0%

The famous 'chicken tax' — 25% on light trucks (HTS 8704.31). Heavy trucks (8704.22/23) attract 4%. Major barrier to small pickup imports.

How duty is calculated

FOB value

Product transaction value at port of export

Import duty (25% (light) / 4% (heavy))

Applied to FOB value. US uses FOB (transaction value).

Sales Tax (state-level) (0%)

Applied to FOB value + duty. Collected at customs.

Use our Landed Cost Calculator to compute the full cost including freight, brokerage, and last-mile delivery.

Worked example: trucks & commercial vehicles worth US$10,000

A commercial shipment invoiced at US$10,000 with US$900 of international freight and insurance. United States charges duty on the FOB value (the price of the goods), so freight does not attract duty and the duty base is US$10,000. Customs converts the amount to USD at the official exchange rate on the day of import.

Charge	At 25%
Import duty	$2,500
Merchandise Processing Fee (0.3464%)	$35
Total paid at the border	$2,535

Excise, anti-dumping duties and broker fees are not included.

Classifying trucks & commercial vehicles correctly

Heading 8704 covers motor vehicles for the transport of goods, split by engine type and gross vehicle weight (up to 5 t, 5–20 t, over 20 t).

Dual-purpose vehicles are classified by their main design purpose — seating and windows behind the driver point to 8703
Tractor units for semi-trailers are 8701, not 8704
Special-purpose vehicles such as cranes and fire engines go to 8705

Compliance. Commercial vehicles need homologation and emissions certification; heavy vehicles often face extra road-use or registration taxes after import.

Importing into United States: what you need

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) collects duty; rates are set in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTSUS) published by the USITC, with trade-remedy duties in Chapter 99.

Registration. An importer of record number (IRS EIN or CBP-assigned number), a customs bond for formal entries over $2,500 and, for ocean freight, an Importer Security Filing (ISF 10+2) at least 24 hours before loading.

Low-value shipments. There is no de minimis any more. The $800 Section 321 exemption was suspended for all countries on 29 August 2025 and written into CBP regulations as an indefinite suspension on 24 June 2026; the statutory exemption ends on 1 July 2027 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Every parcel needs an entry and pays duty.

Documents customs will ask for

Commercial invoice with HTS code, country of origin and value
Packing list
Bill of lading or air waybill
CBP Form 7501 entry summary (filed by the broker)
Agency forms for regulated goods (FDA prior notice, FCC, EPA, CPSC certificates)

Charges on top of duty

Merchandise Processing Fee: 0.3464% of value, within an annual minimum and maximum
Harbor Maintenance Fee: 0.125% on ocean shipments
Section 301 forced-labour tariffs since 24 July 2026: 10% or 12.5% on most origins, capped net of MFN for the EU, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Switzerland
Section 301 China tariffs (Lists 1–4A, 7.5–100%) and Section 232 duties on steel, aluminium, copper, vehicles and parts
State sales tax when the goods are sold, not at the border

Watch out. The MFN rate on the HTS line is rarely the whole bill. Check the Chapter 99 lines for your origin first — for Chinese goods the Section 301 layers often exceed the base duty.

Frequently asked questions

What is the import duty rate for Trucks & Commercial Vehicles in United States?

The MFN (Most Favoured Nation) import duty rate for Trucks & Commercial Vehicles (HS 8704) in United States is 25% (light) / 4% (heavy) on the FOB value. The famous 'chicken tax' — 25% on light trucks (HTS 8704.31). Heavy trucks (8704.22/23) attract 4%. Major barrier to small pickup imports.

Is Sales Tax (state-level) charged on Trucks & Commercial Vehicles imports to United States?

No. United States has no import VAT; state sales tax is charged when the goods are sold to the end customer, not at the border.

Are there FTA rates available for Trucks & Commercial Vehicles in United States?

Yes. CUSMA: 0%. CUSMA/USMCA (Canada, Mexico), US–Korea FTA (KORUS), US–Japan Trade Agreement, US–Israel FTA are the key agreements — verify origin requirements with your customs broker.

How is import duty calculated for Trucks & Commercial Vehicles entering United States?

Duty is calculated on the FOB value of the goods. FOB value is the transaction value at the port of export. The MFN duty of 25% (light) / 4% (heavy) is applied to this value.