8515.80.00

Analysis

HTS 8515.80.00 covers electric (including electrically heated gas), laser or other light or photon beam, ultrasonic, electron beam, magnetic pulse or plasma arc soldering, brazing… under heading 8515 (electric (including electrically heated gas), laser or other light or photon beam…). US Customs collects import statistics for it under 2 ten-digit suffixes, reported in number of items.

Within this group the rate runs from duty-free to 2.5%. Compared with 8515.11.00 (soldering irons and guns), which pays 2.5%, a misclassification either way moves the duty by 2.5 percentage points.

For statistics it divides in two: 8515.80.00.40 for ultrasonic welding machines and 8515.80.00.80 for other. Both pay the same duty; the suffix records which kind was imported.

Goods from countries without normal trade relations pay the column 2 rate of 35% instead of nothing, so origin decides between free entry and a 35% duty.

The normal trade relations rate here is zero, shared by about 58% of the 624 tariff lines in chapter 85, a useful check when a neighbouring dutiable line is a candidate. Free here means free of the base duty only: origin-specific Chapter 99 duties such as Section 301 can still be owed.