Containers stacked at a sea port — where duty is assessed.

Insights

Tariff figures you can repeat on a call with your customs broker.

A small, maintained reference library — verified monthly, every figure cited to its authority.

The anchor · updated monthly · verified

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

Every duty layer on the power and connectivity HTS codes — adapters, USB-C and cable assemblies, coaxial, and fiber — for China, Vietnam, and Mexico, each cited to its authority.

Read the duty stack →

At a glance · effective duty by origin

What origin does to the duty

The effective tariff on a switching adapter (8504.40.85), by country of origin — each bar split into the layers that make it up. The China–Vietnam gap is the entire Section 301 layer.

China
37.5%
Vietnam
12.5%
Mexico
no duty
0.0%
  • MFN base
  • Section 301
  • Forced-labor §301

25.0 points separate China from Vietnam — that is the Section 301 layer, and the whole sourcing decision. Mexico enters duty-free under USMCA.

Effective rate by product category — China vs. Vietnam

Power adapters & chargers 8504.40.85
CN37.5%
VN12.5%
USB-C, HDMI, AV & Ethernet cables 8544.42.90
CN40.1%
VN15.1%
Coaxial cable 8544.20.00
CN42.8%
VN17.8%
Optical fiber 8544.70.00
CN37.5%
VN12.5%
USB-C hubs & docks 8471.80.00
CN37.5%
VN12.5%

Effective : the 10% Section 122 surcharge was replaced by a 12.5% Section 301 forced-labor duty on China and Vietnam — what changed. Full breakdown by authority: the duty stack; estimate your per-unit cost with the landed-cost calculator.

In the library · verified monthly

References & questions

Every figure cited to its authority and re-checked monthly — the detail behind the numbers.

Reference

USB-C and cable assembly tariffs, by HTS code

What cable assemblies pay by HTS code and origin — the same Section 301 stack as power adapters, over a base rate that changes with the cable type.

Read →Reference

Importing power adapters: China vs Vietnam

What Vietnam origin does to your power-adapter duty, what it requires to hold up, and how China and Vietnam compare beyond the tariff line.

Read →Question

Do chargers made in Vietnam avoid Section 301 tariffs?

Yes — but only if the charger is substantially transformed in Vietnam, not merely assembled there from Chinese subassemblies.

Read →Question

How to verify a supplier’s Vietnam country of origin

The four documents that settle a country-of-origin claim — and why substantial transformation, not final assembly, is what makes an adapter Vietnamese.

Read →Question

The Section 122 surcharge expired July 24 — what replaced it

The 10% surcharge expired at its 150-day limit on July 24, 2026 — and was replaced the same day by a 12.5% Section 301 forced-labor duty on China and Vietnam. Vietnam did not fall to 0%; the 25-point §301 delta held.

Read →

Rates verified against HTSUS Rev. 14. Not customs or legal advice.

Tools

Free calculators and checkers for buyers — estimate the duty-paid landed cost per unit by HTS code and country of origin, with the math shown and every rate cited.Open the tools →

From the blog

Longer-form guides for buyers — vetting cable and power suppliers, reading a spec, holding quality to a standard, and managing country of origin and lead time.Visit the blog →