Customs Fees for Electronics by Region (2026)

What This Covers

The electronics sector surcharge covers computers, smartphones, televisions, semiconductors, printed circuit boards, and consumer electronics classified under HTS chapters 84-85. Many of these products historically entered the US duty-free under the Information Technology Agreement (ITA), which eliminated tariffs on a wide range of IT products. Following the Supreme Court's February 20, 2026 ruling striking down IEEPA reciprocal tariffs, all countries faced a flat 10% tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, in effect February 24 – July 24, 2026. That Section 122 tariff expired at its 150-day statutory limit on July 24, 2026 and was replaced the same day by the two-tier 10%/12.5% Section 301 forced-labor tariff (roughly 60 economies; most major exporters, including China, are in the 12.5% tier). Since July 1, 2026, EU-origin electronics are the exception: they fall under the EU-US trade deal's 10% net of Column 1 for ordinary goods (15% only in lieu of Section 232 for autos, qualifying semiconductor articles, and drones) ceiling (with EU semiconductors explicitly capped at 15%) instead of the base surcharge. Section 301 tariffs on Chinese-origin electronics (25-100%) remain in full force, as they were unaffected by the ruling.

Most Affected Countries

China remains by far the most affected country, supplying over $150 billion in electronics to the US annually and facing a 25% Section 301 surcharge on top of the 12.5% Section 301 forced-labor tariff (China is in the 12.5% tier). Vietnam and Malaysia, which saw massive manufacturing growth as companies relocated supply chains from China, benefited significantly from the drop away from the steep IEEPA rates of 46% and 24% they faced before the Supreme Court ruling — Vietnam now sits in the forced-labor tariff's 12.5% tier and Malaysia in the 10% tier. Taiwan and South Korea, critical sources for semiconductors and display panels, are in the 10% tier, making their components more price-competitive relative to the pre-ruling landscape.

How Surcharges Stack

For electronics from China, the effective tariff stacks the 12.5% Section 301 forced-labor tariff with the 25% Section 301 China surcharge. A $1,000 laptop imported from China could face a combined rate of approximately 37.5% when both layers are applied, though some ITA-covered products may have a 0% base rate before surcharges. Vietnamese electronics now face the 12.5% forced-labor tariff — a dramatic reduction from the former 46% IEEPA rate — making Vietnam a substantially more attractive sourcing hub than under the old regime. Products from USMCA partners Canada and Mexico may qualify for duty-free treatment if they meet the rules of origin, bypassing the base surcharge entirely. Section 122 expired July 24, 2026 and was replaced the same day by the two-tier 10%/12.5% Section 301 forced-labor tariff, so the base surcharge on Chinese electronics is now 12.5%.

Sourcing Strategies

Many chapter 84–85 lines are Information Technology Agreement duty-free at Column 1, so the country layer is most of the bill. Ordinary 8541/8542 goods are not a heading-wide semiconductor tariff; note 39(b) limits heading 9903.79.01 to qualifying logic ICs. The region table above is the category estimate, not that line-level test.