Analysis
HTS 8541.49.80 covers optical coupled isolators under heading 8541 (semiconductor devices (for example, diodes, transistors, semiconductor-based…).
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.
The other lines in the same group are 8541.49.10 (other: other diodes, duty-free), 8541.49.70 (other: transistors, duty-free) and 8541.49.95 (other: other, duty-free).
Census statistics map these goods to NAICS 334413 (Semiconductor and Related Device Manufacturing), an industry of 822 US establishments employing 116,831 people. That concordance is how imports of this line are compared with US output.
All 3 neighbouring lines carry the same duty-free rate, so a borderline choice between them changes the statistics reported, not the duty paid.
Neighbouring lines
| Line | Description | General rate |
|---|---|---|
| 8541.49.10 | Other: other diodes | Free |
| 8541.49.70 | Other: transistors | Free |
| 8541.49.95 | Other: other | Free |