Tariff Guides
Plain-language resources to help you understand US import tariffs, HTS classifications, and trade policy. No jargon. Topics range from reading an HTS code and calculating the duty owed to Section 301 China tariffs and free-trade-agreement exemptions. Data from the USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule; see our methodology.
All guides reference USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule 2026 data covering 22 sections, 96 chapters, and 13,855 rated tariff lines.
How Tariffs Work: What They Are, Who Sets Them, and Who Pays
Tariffs are taxes on imports, but importers, not foreign countries, write the check. Learn how rates are set, collected, and passed to consumers.
How to Read an HTS Code
The Harmonized Tariff Schedule organizes every imported product into a 10-digit code. Here is how sections, chapters, headings, and subheadings work.
US Tariff Impact: Which Products Face the Highest Rates
From sugar to tobacco to footwear, some product categories face duty rates above 20%. Learn which imports are taxed most and why special trade programs matter.
How Tariffs Affect Consumer Prices
Why import tariffs become higher retail prices, pass-through rates by product category, the economics of tariff absorption, and which goods consumers feel most.
Most Tariffed Products in the US
Rankings of the highest US import duty rates: tobacco, peanut butter, footwear, apparel, and sugar. Why these products are so heavily protected and what tariff rate quotas mean.
Reading HTS Tariff Schedules
How to navigate the tariff schedule: reading rate columns, understanding General vs Special vs Column 2 rates, ad valorem vs specific duties, and tariff rate quotas.
The Economics of Tariff Pass-Through
The mechanics of tariff pass-through: how import duties become higher retail prices, which products consumers feel most, and what peer-reviewed research shows.
Methodology
Our guides are based on publicly available data from authoritative government sources. All statistics, ratings, and figures cited in these guides are drawn directly from official datasets and publications, with sources clearly referenced throughout.
We aim to present complex government data in plain language that is accessible to general audiences. When methodologies differ between data sources or change over time, we note these variations inline. Our editorial process includes regular reviews to ensure accuracy and timeliness of the information presented.