HTS 9608
Ball point pens; felt tipped and other porous-tipped pens and markers; fountain pens, stylograph pens and other pens; duplicating styli; propelling or sliding pencils (for example, mechanical pencils); pen-holders, pencil-holders and similar holders; parts (including caps and clips) of the foregoing articles, other than those of heading 9609
| General rate | Not stated for this line What most imports pay — countries with normal trade relations, which is nearly all of them. |
|---|---|
| Special rate | Not stated for this line Only under a trade programme or agreement, and only if the goods qualify. The codes name the programmes. |
| Column 2 rate | Not stated for this line Only for the few countries without normal trade relations. |
This line states no general duty rate, and none is inherited from the lines above it. That is not the same as duty-free: lines in Chapters 98 and 99 are provisions and qualifiers rather than ordinary commodities, and a rate may be stated elsewhere. Check the heading before assuming anything.
Additional duties may apply
This line references Chapter 99, where Section 301, Section 232 and other additional duties live. Those are charged on top of the general rate above and depend on where the goods were made. The rate shown here is therefore not the whole story for every origin.
Statistical breakouts
The 10-digit lines under this code. They are reporting categories; the duty is the one above unless a line states its own.
| Code | Description | Units | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9608.10.00.00 | Ball point pens | No. | 0.8¢ each + 5.4% |
| 9608.20.00.00 | Felt tipped and other porous-tipped pens and markers | gross | 4% |
| 9608.30.00 | Fountain pens, stylograph pens and other pens | — | 0.4¢ each + 2.7% |
| 9608.30.00.31 | India ink drawing pens | No. | 0.4¢ each + 2.7% |
| 9608.30.00.39 | Other | No. | 0.4¢ each + 2.7% |
| 9608.40 | Propelling or sliding pencils (for example, mechanical pencils) | — | see above |
| 9608.40.40.00 | With a mechanical action for extending, or for extending and retracting, the lead | gross | 6.6% |
| 9608.40.80.00 | Other | gross | Free |
| 9608.50.00.00 | Sets of articles from two or more of the subheadings 9608.10, 9608.20, 9608.30 or 9608.40 | No. | The rate applicable to each article in the absence of this subheading |
| 9608.60.00.00 | Refills for ball point pens, comprising the ball point and ink reservoir | No. | 0.4¢ each + 2.7% |
| 9608.91.00.00 | Pen nibs and nib points | gross | Free |
| 9608.99 | Other | — | see above |
| 9608.99.20.00 | Refill cartridges | No. | 0.4¢ each + 2.7% |
| 9608.99.30.00 | Balls for ball point pens | thousands | 20¢/thousand + 3.5% |
| 9608.99.40.00 | Parts of articles provided for in subheadings 9608.10 and 9608.30 (other than balls for ball point pens) | No. | Free |
| 9608.99.60.00 | Other | No. | Free |
What changed
No recorded change to this line since we began reading the schedule daily. That is the ordinary state: USITC revises it fifteen to eighteen times a year, and most codes are untouched in any given revision.
Email me when this code changes
One email if the duty on 9608 moves, or the line is reworded or withdrawn. USITC publishes revisions without a calendar, and a rate change applies to goods entered from the day it takes effect.
Before you rely on this
Classification and the duties that finally apply to a shipment are a licensed customs broker's call. This page publishes the schedule as USITC does; it does not calculate what an entry will cost.
Source: Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, U.S. International Trade Commission (public domain). Re-checked daily.