China leads; alternatives compete. China supplied 10.0% of US non-computer machinery imports in 2025, down from 12.4% in 2024 (UN Comtrade), competing with Mexico, Germany and Japan.
Is China still the default source for industrial machinery?
China leads in some categories, but alternatives compete across US machinery imports as a whole. Industrial machinery here means the equipment classified in HS Chapter 84 — machine tools, lifting and handling equipment, power tools, pumps and special-purpose machines — excluding computers (HS 8471). On that basis China supplied 10.0% of US imports in 2025 ($41.27B of $412.06B), down from 12.4% ($48.39B of $389.75B) in 2024, according to US-reported UN Comtrade data queried October 30, 2026. The ex-computer figure is calculated by subtracting HS 8471 from HS 84, and 2025 values may be revised.
The subtraction matters. Headline HS 84 data, which include computers, show US imports from China falling from $85.89B in 2023 and $85.13B (16.0%) in 2024 to $52.28B (7.9%) in 2025. Most of that swing is computers: US computer imports from China fell from $36.74B to $11.01B while total US computer imports rose from $141.41B to $253.06B. Quoting the headline share overstates the change in industrial machinery.
| Category (HS) | China's share of US imports, 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 8467 power tools (hand tools with self-contained motor) | 39.3% | 30.3% ($2.01B of $6.64B) |
| 8479 machines with individual functions | 9.4% | 10.0% |
| 8427 fork-lift and other works trucks with lifting equipment | 9.0% | 10.9% ($0.69B of $6.34B) |
| 8428 other lifting, handling and loading machinery | 6.9% | 5.9% |
| 8456 laser, ultrasonic and similar machine tools | About 10% | About 8.8% |
Self-propelled scissor lifts often classify in 8427 and laser cutting machines in 8456, while laser-cleaning machines may classify elsewhere; a CBP ruling or a licensed customs broker should confirm the heading. In 8427 the 2025 leaders were Japan ($1.18B), the UK ($1.04B) and Mexico ($0.83B), ahead of China; in 8456 Germany and Japan led.
Where machinery is made, and how a machine order works
Machinery production in China is often attributed in trade literature to provincial clusters, but no government or academic source for those specializations was found in the research for this page, so none is mapped here. The supplier's business license and the factory address on the inspection report are the evidence of where a machine is built.
Machinery is usually sold by the unit, so MOQs (minimum order quantities) are often a single set. Cost and lead time are driven instead by configuration: voltage and frequency, the brand of the control system, whether US-listed components are used, custom engineering, and whether the factory must rebuild the electrical panel for US use. Common payment terms are a deposit with the balance due before shipment, after factory acceptance testing (FAT — a documented run of the finished machine at the factory, witnessed by the buyer or its inspector). Spare parts, English manuals and remote or on-site commissioning are separate items to negotiate before the contract is signed.
US safety rules: OSHA, NRTL listing and the CE mark
A CE mark has no legal standing in the US. It is a European self-declaration. For workplace use, OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) requires electrical equipment to be "approved," which in practice means listed or labeled by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL), or otherwise accepted, under 29 CFR 1910.7 and 1910.303(a). UL is one NRTL; several others are recognized. A local authority having jurisdiction, usually the electrical inspector, may refuse unlisted equipment or require an NRTL field evaluation.
Electrical design standards. Industrial control panels are commonly built and listed to UL 508A, and the electrical design of industrial machinery commonly follows NFPA 79, which the National Electrical Code (NFPA 70, Article 670) references.
Guarding and lifts. OSHA's general machine-guarding rule is 29 CFR 1910.212 (Subpart O); voluntary ANSI B11 standards are often used as evidence of good practice. Mobile elevating work platforms such as scissor lifts fall under the ANSI/SAIA A92 standards (A92.20 design, A92.22 safe use, A92.24 training).
Laser machines. Laser products sold in the US, including cutting, marking and cleaning machines, must comply with FDA's laser performance standard (21 CFR 1040.10 and 1040.11), and the manufacturer must file a product report with FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH). Shipments without it can be refused at entry. High-power laser cleaners are typically Class 4.
The primary texts of the OSHA, ANSI, NFPA and FDA laser provisions above were not retrieved for this page; confirm the current wording and editions before relying on them.
Tariffs on Chinese machinery, as of October 2026
| Layer | Rate and date | Instrument |
|---|---|---|
| General (column 1) duty | Per HTS line | HTSUS |
| Section 301 China lists | Most Chapter 84 lines 25% (Lists 1–3); some 7.5% (List 4A) | HTSUS Ch. 99 note 20 |
| Section 301, ship-to-shore cranes (8426.19.00) | 25% from 2024 | 89 FR 76581 |
| Section 301 forced-labor action | 12.5% from July 24, 2026, except Section 232 goods | USTR final notice, 91 FR 47318 |
| Section 232 steel/aluminum/copper derivatives | On full customs value from April 6, 2026, if the line is listed | Proclamation 11021, 91 FR 18201 |
Metals derivatives. Some machinery lines are Section 232 steel or aluminum derivatives. BIS added 407 HTS codes to the derivatives lists on August 19, 2025 (FR Doc. 2025-15819), and since April 6, 2026 Proclamation 11021 applies covered metals duties to the full customs value regardless of metal content. A machine on one of those annexes pays the 232 duty instead of the 12.5% forced-labor layer, but China Section 301 list duties still apply.
Exclusions. The 178 remaining Section 301 exclusions (164 product exclusions under 9903.88.69 and 14 solar-manufacturing-equipment exclusions under 9903.88.70) expire at 11:59 p.m. EDT on November 9, 2026 under USTR's notice; USTR's press release gives November 10, 2026. The 2024 four-year review also created an exclusion process for manufacturing machinery in Chapters 84 and 85, with 312 subheadings proposed and 5 added (8421.21.00, 8421.29.00, 8421.39.01, 8428.70.00 and 8443.19.30); whether any exclusions granted under it remain in force is unconfirmed.
Section 232 robotics and industrial machinery. An investigation opened in September 2025 (90 FR 46382). On October 28, 2026 the President issued a proclamation that accepts the national-security finding but defers tariffs and quotas, directing Commerce and USTR to negotiate, with an update due within 180 days, according to a trade-law firm's summary; the proclamation number and Federal Register citation were not yet available. Tariffs remain possible if no agreement is reached.
The IEEPA duties ended after the Supreme Court's February 20, 2026 ruling, and a court challenge to the forced-labor duty has been reported. A licensed customs broker should confirm the classification and stack for each machine.
Where machinery sourcing is shifting, and why
US buyers are importing more from Mexico and continue to buy high-end equipment from Germany and Japan. US HS 84 imports from Mexico, including computers, rose from $105.83B in 2024 to $150.61B in 2025, largely computers and servers, while imports from Japan ($36.05B to $33.50B) and Germany ($34.35B to $31.13B) eased. China's share of non-computer machinery fell 2.4 percentage points in a single year.
China's machinery output is being redirected rather than lost. China-reported HS 84 exports, including computers, rose from $568.09B in 2024 to $603.82B in 2025, while exports to the US fell from $92.53B to $69.60B (UN Comtrade). China's share of world machinery exports was not retrieved for this page.
Common mistakes, and how to evaluate a machinery supplier
- Accepting a CE certificate as proof of US workplace legality. Such certificates are often self-issued or non-EU test reports, and OSHA looks for NRTL approval.
- Ordering Chinese-standard voltage, plugs and unlisted components, then paying to rewire or field-evaluate the machine in the US.
- Importing laser cleaning, cutting or marking machines without a CDRH laser product report, and having the shipment detained.
- Missing that the HTS line is a Section 232 derivative, now dutiable on full value.
- Relying on a Section 301 exclusion that expires on November 9 or 10, 2026.
- Treating the October 28, 2026 proclamation as the end of Section 232 risk. Tariffs are deferred, not ruled out.
- Paying the balance before seeing the machine run at factory acceptance testing.
A machinery supplier is evaluated on whether it can build to US electrical and safety requirements, not on its catalog. Ask whether it has supplied machines with NRTL-listed control panels or components, and get the specification in writing: voltage, frequency, control brand and listed parts. For laser equipment, ask for the CDRH product report accession number. Agree the FAT protocol, spare-parts list, English documentation and commissioning support in the contract, and tie the balance payment to a passed FAT.
Frequently asked questions
How much machinery does the US import from China?
In 2025 the US imported $41.27B of non-computer HS 84 machinery from China, 10.0% of $412.06B, down from $48.39B (12.4%) in 2024, according to UN Comtrade data. Including computers, imports from China fell from $85.13B to $52.28B, but most of that drop was computers. China's share is highest in categories such as power tools, at 30.3%.
Is a CE mark accepted in the US?
No. The CE mark is a European self-declaration with no legal standing in the US. For workplace use, OSHA requires electrical equipment to be approved, which in practice means listed or labeled by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory under 29 CFR 1910.7 and 1910.303(a). Local electrical inspectors may require a UL or other NRTL listing or a field evaluation.
What tariffs apply to machinery imported from China?
As of October 2026, most Chinese machinery pays the general HTS rate, a Section 301 list duty (usually 25% for Chapter 84) and the 12.5% forced-labor Section 301 duty in effect since July 24, 2026. If the HTS line is a Section 232 steel or aluminum derivative, the 232 duty applies on full value instead of the 12.5% layer. A customs broker should confirm each line.
Is there a Section 232 tariff on industrial machinery?
Not as of October 30, 2026. A Section 232 investigation of robotics and industrial machinery opened in September 2025, and a proclamation issued on October 28, 2026 accepted the national-security finding but deferred tariffs and quotas in favor of negotiations, with an update due within 180 days. Separately, some machinery lines already pay Section 232 metals duties as derivatives.
Do laser cleaning machines need FDA approval?
Not approval, but FDA compliance. Laser products sold in the US must meet FDA's laser performance standard at 21 CFR 1040.10 and 1040.11, and the manufacturer must file a product report with FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health. High-power laser cleaners are typically Class 4. Without the report, a shipment can be refused at entry.
What standards apply to scissor lifts imported from China?
In the US, mobile elevating work platforms such as scissor lifts fall under the ANSI/SAIA A92 standards: A92.20 for design, A92.22 for safe use and A92.24 for training. Confirm the current edition before contracting. Electrical components are also subject to OSHA's approval requirement, and self-propelled scissor lifts often classify under HS 8427, which a customs ruling should confirm.
Sources
- United Nations Statistics Division — UN Comtrade database, US-reported imports, HS 84, 8471, 8467 (calculated)
- Office of the U.S. Trade Representative / Federal Register — Notice of Modification: China's Acts, Policies and Practices Related to Technology Tran…
- Office of the U.S. Trade Representative — Notice of Actions in Section 301 Investigations of Acts, Policies, and Practices of Various Economies Rela…
- Congressional Research Service — Active Presidential Tariff Actions in 2026: Fact Sheet (R49481), 8 Oct 2026
- hts.usitc.gov/
- ustr.gov/sites/default/files/files/Press/Releases/2025/Extending%20Exclusion…
- federalregister.gov/d/2025-15819
- thompsonhinesmartrade.com/2026/10/president-directs-section-232-negotiations…