Last updated: 17 September 2026.
Quick answer. Importing hardware from China is a documentation exercise: classify the product, confirm who the importer of record is, file the entry with correct values, and check non-tariff controls. CBP does not license importers. Duties vary by product and date — check the official tools, not published percentages.
This guide covers the paperwork and controls that sit between a supplier's invoice and your warehouse. Rules, measures and rates change: every procedure below is linked to the official source, and where a number would be out of date by the time you read it, we point you to the official tool instead of printing a figure.
Two things are true at once about first-order importing, and both are stated plainly by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP):
That second point is where most first-order problems originate. Everything below is a way of discharging it.
You do not need a licence from CBP to import. CBP's guidance is explicit: "CBP does not require an importer to have a license or permit, but other agencies may require a permit, license, or other certification, depending on the commodity that is being imported". CBP acts in an administrative capacity for those other agencies.
What you do need is an importer number. CBP entry forms ask for it, and it is:
You may also need a local or state business licence; that sits outside CBP's remit.
On customs brokers. Brokers are licensed by CBP but are not CBP employees, and the CBP list of brokers at a port is not an endorsement. The critical sentence for anyone hiring one: "even when using a broker, you, the importer of record, are ultimately responsible for the correctness of the entry documentation presented to CBP and all applicable duties, taxes and fees".
Classification decides which measures apply to your goods. It is also the step where a supplier's suggested HS code should be treated as a starting point, not an answer.
Where classification is published. In the United States, the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS), administered by the U.S. International Trade Commission, is the publication that carries the classification itself, and the HTS site also publishes dedicated general notes and a China Tariffs document under its "About the HTS" section.
What an import specialist will ask you. CBP recommends contacting the import specialist at the port of entry for the commodity you are importing, and sets out the detail you should be able to provide:
If classification is genuinely unclear, get a written answer. Importers can request a binding ruling from CBP on the proper classification and rate of duty, following the procedures in Part 177 of the Customs Regulations (19 C.F.R. 177). Before filing, research what CBP has already decided for similar goods in the Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS), which is searchable by keyword and also covers valuation, country-of-origin marking and trade preference programmes.
Practical note for hardware buyers: the difference between two plausible headings is often a question of material composition and intended use — the same two facts your supplier should be able to document. If your supplier cannot describe the alloy, coating or end use in writing, that is a sourcing problem as much as a customs one.
There are two routes, and CBP describes both:
Whichever route you take, the responsibility statement from section 2 applies unchanged.
If your hardware ships by sea, one extra filing applies before arrival.
Importer Security Filing (ISF), commonly called "10+2": under the rule titled Importer Security Filing and Additional Carrier Requirements, which took effect on 26 January 2009, the ISF Importer or their agent must electronically submit certain advance cargo information to CBP before merchandise arriving by vessel can be imported.
Three facts that matter operationally:
For air-freighted samples and small first orders this is frequently the step that does not apply. For full-container production orders it does.
Duty is only one of the gates. Three others are worth checking before you commit to a supplier (all sourced):
Partner Government Agency requirements. CBP points out that there may be specific requirements attached to a particular commodity, set by other agencies, and that CBP acts in an administrative capacity for them. Which agency applies depends entirely on the product — which is another reason to settle classification first.
Quotas. Import quotas control the amount or volume of various commodities that may be imported during a specified period, and CBP divides United States import quotas into two main types:
Trade remedies. CBP maintains a Trade Remedy Branch that coordinates its implementation, enforcement and communication on trade remedy programmes, working with partner government agencies, and publishes antidumping and countervailing duty material plus a trade-remedy questions and resources bulletin on its trade remedies page. If your product category has active measures, this is the page that tells you so.
Where to check the numbers. We deliberately do not print duty rates here: they depend on the classification, the country of origin and the measures in force on the date of entry, and any figure quoted in an article is stale the moment it is published. Check the current position for your own product in the official tools in section 7 — and if you want a worked through method, see our landed cost and tariff verification guide.
| Question | Official tool | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| How is my product classified in the United States? | Harmonized Tariff Schedule — USITC (`hts.usitc.gov`) | Publishes the classification, general notes and a China Tariffs document under "About the HTS" |
| What does the United States actually import, and from where? | USITC DataWeb (`dataweb.usitc.gov`) | Official United States import and export statistics |
| What has CBP already ruled on a similar product? | CROSS — Customs Rulings Online Search System | Searchable rulings on classification, value, origin marking and preference programmes |
| What applies when I import into the European Union? | Access2Markets — My Trade Assistant (European Commission) | Enter a product name or HS code plus the export and destination countries; returns the conditions that apply, including rules of origin |
Access2Markets is also where the EU publishes its Rules of Origin self-assessment, trade agreements and statistics, and a Single Entry Point for reporting trade barriers — useful if your hardware is bound for an EU customer rather than a US one.
This is the cost line that first-time importers forget, and CBP states it directly.
Under Title 19, section 1467, of the United States Code (19 U.S.C. 1467), CBP has the right to examine any shipment imported into the United States — and the importer bears the cost of such cargo examinations. Under 19 C.F.R. 151.6, the importer must make the goods available and "shall bear any expense involved in preparing the merchandise for CBP examination and in the closing of packages". No distinction is made between commercial and personal shipments.
In practice: if your shipment is selected, it is generally moved to a Centralized Examination Station (CES) — a privately operated facility — which unloads and reloads the container and bills you for that service, with additional costs for moving and storing the cargo. CBP notes that rates vary across the country and that a complete devanning may cost several hundred dollars. Normal operations do not carry a CBP examination charge; the cost arises from the private facility and logistics around the exam.
Customs paperwork is only as good as the information your supplier gives you. Before the first order, these four things are worth nailing down — and each has a guide of its own:
We do not publish supplier lists, and we do not sell introductions to unnamed factories. If you want to discuss a specific part, describe it in the quote form and we will take it from there.
Scope of this guide. It covers the U.S. and EU import frameworks using official sources, and it deliberately states no duty rate, no HS heading number and no measure-specific rate. It is general information about processes, not customs advice for a particular consignment: your entry's classification, valuation and origin are your responsibility as importer of record, and a licensed customs broker or CBP import specialist at your port of entry is the right party to confirm the specifics.
All sources retrieved 2026-09-17, except S4 (retrieved 2026-09-16). Every figure and every procedural claim in the draft has a row here.
CBP itself does not require an importer to hold a licence or permit, but other agencies may require a permit, licence or other certification depending on the commodity. You will also need an importer number — your IRS business registration number, or your social security number if your business is not registered with the IRS, or a CBP-assigned number requested on CBP Form 5106.
The importer of record is responsible for the entry, including classification. CBP import specialists can provide classification advice, and importers can request a written ruling under 19 C.F.R. 177. Past decisions are searchable in CROSS.
No. Brokers are licensed by CBP but are not CBP employees, and even when a broker is used, the importer of record remains ultimately responsible for the correctness of the entry documentation and for all applicable duties, taxes and fees.
ISF, or "10+2", requires advance electronic cargo information to be submitted to CBP before merchandise arriving by ocean vessel can be imported. It does not apply to cargo arriving by other modes of transport. Non-compliance can lead to monetary penalties, increased inspections and cargo delay.
Use the official tools: classification is published in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule administered by the USITC (`hts.usitc.gov`), and USITC DataWeb (`dataweb.usitc.gov`) carries official United States import and export statistics. For imports into the EU, the European Commission's Access2Markets — My Trade Assistant returns the conditions that apply to your product and country pair.
All sources retrieved 17 September 2026. This page is an independent reading of the sources listed; the official pages themselves are the specification.
| Fact used on this page | Source |
|---|---|
| S1 — CBP and the trade community share responsibility for compliance; importers/exporters are encouraged to become familiar with applicable laws, and there may be specific requirements attached to a particular commodity set by Partner Government Agencies (PGA); CBP acts in an administrative capacity for those agencies. Page "Last Modified: Feb 10, 2026" | U.S. Customs and Border Protection — Basic Importing and Exporting (official) https://www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-import-export |
| S2 — No CBP licence needed to import but other agencies may require a permit, licence or certification; importer number = IRS business registration number, or SSN if unregistered, or a CBP-assigned number via CBP Form 5106; possible local or state business licence; contact the import specialist at the port of entry; the four facts requested (country of origin and manufacturer, composition, intended use, pricing/payment information); binding ruling under 19 C.F.R. 177; CROSS rulings database (keyword-searchable; also covers value, origin marking, trade preference programmes); customs brokers licensed by CBP but not CBP employees, port lists may be incomplete and are not an endorsement; "even when using a broker, you, the importer of record, are ultimately responsible…"; ISF/"10+2" effective 26 January 2009, applies only to cargo arriving by ocean vessel, non-compliance → monetary penalties, increased inspections and delay of cargo; absolute vs tariff-rate quotas (tariff-rate quotas allow a specified quantity at a reduced rate, after which goods may still be entered but at a higher rate of duty; currently no commodities subject to absolute quota restrictions); 19 U.S.C. 1467 right to examine and importer bears exam cost, 19 C.F.R. 151.6 importer bears preparing/closing expense, no distinction between commercial and personal shipments; Centralized Examination Station (CES), privately operated, bills for devanning, with moving/storage costs; "a complete devanning may cost several hundred dollars"; FOIA route for certain information | U.S. Customs and Border Protection — Tips for New Importers and Exporters (official) https://www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-import-export/importer-exporter-tips |
| S3 — Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) is published and administered by the U.S. International Trade Commission (`hts.usitc.gov`); the site's "About the HTS" section carries Table of Contents, Preface, Change Record and a China Tariffs document, alongside General Notes 1–36, General Rules of Interpretation and Statistical Notes | U.S. International Trade Commission — Harmonized Tariff Schedule (official) https://hts.usitc.gov/ |
| S4 — USITC DataWeb as the official United States trade statistics and tariff data entry point (used in the tools table; retrieved 2026-09-16) | U.S. International Trade Commission — DataWeb (official) https://dataweb.usitc.gov/ |
| S5 — EU Access2Markets — My Trade Assistant: enter a product name or HS code plus export country and destination country to retrieve the conditions that apply; portal also publishes Rules of Origin self-assessment, trade agreements and statistics, a Single Entry Point for trade barriers, and an SME corner. Managed by DG Trade; version string shown on page `2026.7.1.2` | European Commission — Access2Markets / My Trade Assistant (official) https://trade.ec.europa.eu/access-to-markets/en/my-trade-assistant |
| S6 — CBP Trade Remedy Branch coordinates implementation, enforcement and communication on trade remedy programmes, working with partner government agencies; page carries Antidumping and Countervailing Duties material and a Trade Remedy Questions and Resources Bulletin. Page "Last Modified: Sep 16, 2026" | U.S. Customs and Border Protection — Trade Remedies (official) https://www.cbp.gov/trade/programs-administration/trade-remedies |