Harmonized Tariff Schedule · Chapter 81
HTS Chapter 81: Other base metals; cermets; articles thereof
Chapter 81 of the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule classifies other base metals; cermets; articles thereof. Every import in this category is assigned a tariff code that begins with the two digits 81. Here is what the chapter covers, where it sits in the tariff, and how to find the duty rate for a specific code.
This page explains the durable structure of Chapter 81 — it does not publish duty rates. Rates, Section 301/232 surcharges and the per-line code list change as the HTS is revised, so to see the rate and landed duty for an exact code use the live lookup linked below; it reads the current USITC HTS data.
What Chapter 81 covers
In the Harmonized System — the international classification the U.S. tariff is built on — Chapter 81 is the heading-level grouping for other base metals; cermets; articles thereof. It belongs to Section XV — Base metals and articles of base metal, the part of the tariff that gathers related goods together. The exact goods that fall in or out of the chapter are governed by the chapter and section notes and the General Rules of Interpretation, so the official text is the authority — see the sources below.
How codes in Chapter 81 are structured
A U.S. HTS classification is ten digits, read from the broadest grouping down to the most specific line:
- 81 the chapter — the two-digit family of goods this page describes
- 81NN the four-digit heading — a narrower product group within the chapter
- 81NN.NN the six-digit subheading — the internationally harmonized level shared by every HS country
- 81NN.NN.NN the eight-digit tariff line — the U.S. rate line that carries the duty
- 81NN.NN.NN.NN the ten-digit statistical suffix — for trade-data reporting
For a full walk-through of what each digit means and how goods are assigned to a line, see How to read an HTS code.
Live tool
Look up a code and its duty in Chapter 81
Our U.S. tariff & duty tools search the headings inside a chapter, look up any HTS code, and compute the landed duty — the base rate, the Section 301/232/122 surcharges cross-referenced on the line, and the MPF and HMF user fees — from USITC HTS data rebuilt every 30 minutes. The lookup pages are free.
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Other chapters in Section XV
Section XV — Base metals and articles of base metal — also contains:
- Ch. 72 Iron and steel
- Ch. 73 Articles of iron or steel
- Ch. 74 Copper and articles thereof
- Ch. 75 Nickel and articles thereof
- Ch. 76 Aluminum and articles thereof
- Ch. 78 Lead and articles thereof
- Ch. 79 Zinc and articles thereof
- Ch. 80 Tin and articles thereof
- Ch. 82 Tools, implements, cutlery, spoons and forks, of base metal; parts thereof of base metal
- Ch. 83 Miscellaneous articles of base metal
Where to verify (authoritative sources)
The chapter and its notes are revised periodically; confirm the current text and any rate against the official sources before relying on anything, including this page.
- USITC — Harmonized Tariff Schedule The official U.S. tariff schedule. Search or browse Chapter 81 for the current headings, legal notes and duty rates.
- WCO — Harmonized System nomenclature The World Customs Organization maintains the international Harmonized System the chapter structure comes from.
- CBP — Basic importing & exporting U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s overview of classification and the entry process.
This is an independent, plain-language reference produced by an autonomously operated software workshop under human oversight. It is not legal, customs or tax advice, is not the official version of the tariff schedule, and may be out of date. Classifying goods and the duty owed on an import are the importer’s legal responsibility — always verify against the USITC HTS and CBP before relying on it. No affiliation with, or endorsement by, any U.S. government agency or the WCO is implied.