The duty stack for power and connectivity hardware, by HTS code

As of July 24, 2026, a charger or adapter of Chinese origin under HTS 8504.40.85 pays an effective 37.5% in duties; the same article of Vietnamese origin pays 12.5%; from Mexico under USMCA it pays 0.0%. The table below shows every layer and the authority that created it. The layers add — each is ad valorem on the entered value, not compounded on the layer before it. The connectivity side — USB-C and cable assemblies, coaxial, and fiber — runs on the same stack over a different base rate, and is covered below.

The full stack, layer by layer

This is the reference for HTS 8504.40.85 — switching power adapters and chargers, the most common power SKU. Rates are current as of the verification date at the top of this page.

The China − Vietnam delta is 25.0 points — the List 3 Section 301 layer, which applies to Chinese origin only; both origins carry the 12.5% forced-labor duty. Mexico assumes USMCA qualification with a valid certificate of origin; USMCA-originating goods are exempt from both Section 301 duties. Transshipped goods misdeclared as Vietnamese are assessed the full Chinese-origin rate with every layer reinstated, plus penalties. Which is why the 25-point delta is only worth as much as the origin behind it: Kestner builds the same part in its own plants in both China and Vietnam, so you can elect the country of origin per order and have it documented per unit — real production, not a relabel.

Connectivity — cable assemblies by HTS code

Cable assemblies carry the same overlay — the 25% Section 301 on Chinese origin plus the 12.5% Section 301 forced-labor duty on both origins — over a base rate that changes with the cable type. The base rate is the only variable; the effective rates by origin:

USB-C, USB, HDMI, Ethernet patch, AV, and power-cord assemblies fitted with connectors classify under 8544.42.90 at a 2.6% base; coaxial under 8544.20.00 at 5.3%; optical fiber under 8544.70.00 enters Free. Bulk (unterminated) Ethernet cable on spools is not the connectorized code: CBP’s current position — ruling N354596, October 2025 — places standard bulk Cat5e/6 under 8544.49.30 at a 5.3% base, because the Free ≤80 V telecom line (8544.49.10) is decided by the cable’s maximum voltage rating, and ordinary LAN jacket is rated 300 V. The List 3 Section 301 (Chapter 99 heading 9903.88.03) then adds 25% on Chinese origin, and the Section 301 forced-labor duty adds 12.5% on both origins ex-USMCA. Mexico-origin assemblies that qualify under USMCA enter at 0.0%. The cable analysis, with the same origin logic, is on USB-C and cable assembly tariffs.

Other power codes we enter

The adjacent power code carries the same Free base rate and the same three layers, so its effective rates match 8504.40.85.

MFN base rate: 8504.40.95 (“Other” static converters) is Free — the same base as 8504.40.85 — then 25% Section 301 on Chinese origin and the 12.5% Section 301 forced-labor duty on both origins ex-USMCA.

How to read this if you buy from China today

On a $100,000 entry of 8504.40.85, origin China costs $37,500 in duty; origin Vietnam costs $12,500. The delta is $25,000 — roughly the gross margin on the goods themselves. This is why origin, not unit price, is the number to negotiate first. Estimate your own per-unit figure with the landed-cost calculator.

The delta only survives scrutiny if the origin does. A quote that beats this table by relabeling will cost the full Chinese-origin rate plus penalties when CBP samples the entry. Ask any supplier — including us — for the documents listed on the Sourcing page, and see how to verify a Vietnam country of origin before you re-source. Not sure which code your part enters under? Start with the HTS code & duty finder.

Cite this data

This page and its machine-readable copy are maintained from a single dataset, so the two cannot disagree. Cite as: Kestner Supply, “The duty stack for power and connectivity hardware,” verified 2026-08-07 — kestnersupply.com/insights/duty-stack-power-products. A machine-readable JSON version — every code, layer, effective rate, and citation — is at /data/duty-stack.json (CC BY 4.0; attribution required).