Chemicals Tariff Rates 2026: US Import Duties by Country & HTS Code

What This Covers

The chemicals surcharge covers industrial chemicals, organic compounds, specialty chemicals, and related products classified under HTS chapters 28-38. The base tariff rate for chemicals averages approximately 3%, keeping raw material and intermediate inputs relatively affordable for US manufacturing. Section 301 tariffs of 25% on Chinese-origin chemicals remain in full force after the Supreme Court ruling. The 10% Section 122 tariff (effective February 24, 2026; scheduled to sunset ~July 24, 2026) now applies uniformly to all chemical-exporting countries, replacing the old IEEPA reciprocal rates. This Section 122 tariff is legally contested: the Court of International Trade ruled it unlawful on May 7, 2026, but the Federal Circuit stayed that injunction on June 11, 2026, so CBP continues collecting the 10% pending appeal.

Most Affected Countries

China remains the most penalized chemical exporter, facing the 25% Section 301 surcharge plus the 10% Section 122 tariff on top of the 3% base rate, for combined duties of approximately 38%. Germany, the second-largest chemical exporter to the US, moved onto the EU-US trade deal on July 1, 2026: German specialty chemicals, pharmaceutical intermediates, and industrial solvents pay a flat 15% all-inclusive — no MFN stacking — down sharply from the EU's IEEPA-era 20%-plus-MFN structure, and EU pharmaceutical precursors go MFN-only from September 1, 2026. Japan, India, and the United Kingdom face the same 10% Section 122 rate, simplifying procurement across non-EU chemical sources.

How Surcharges Stack

Chinese chemicals face a 3% base rate plus the 25% Section 301 surcharge plus the 10% Section 122 tariff, for combined rates of approximately 38%. A specialty chemical from Germany now pays the EU deal's flat 15% all-inclusive (effective July 1, 2026) — the 3% MFN base no longer stacks, and the total is well below the roughly 23% of the IEEPA era. Japanese, Indian, and British chemicals face a 13% combined rate (3% base plus 10% Section 122), a level playing field among non-China, non-EU sources. Canadian and Mexican chemicals enter duty-free under USMCA if they meet rules of origin, giving North American producers a 13-to-15-point advantage over overseas competitors. The Section 122 tariff is scheduled to sunset July 24, 2026, which could reduce non-China, non-EU chemical imports to the 3% base rate alone — though USTR's proposed 12.5% Section 301 duties on 46 countries could take its place.

Sourcing Strategies

USMCA partners Canada and Mexico continue to offer duty-free treatment and host substantial chemical manufacturing capacity, making them the optimal primary sources. Procurement from major chemical-producing nations is now straightforward: Japan and South Korea at 13% combined (3% base + 10% Section 122), Germany and other EU sources at the deal's flat 15% — differentials small enough that buyers can optimize for product specifications, supply reliability, and pricing. China at 38% combined duties remains the most expensive source, and importers should continue diversifying away from Chinese chemicals where alternatives exist. With Section 122's temporary nature (scheduled to sunset ~July 2026), chemical companies negotiating annual supply contracts should build in tariff adjustment clauses to capture potential cost reductions if the surcharge lapses without replacement.