Machinery — HTS 8442
Machinery, apparatus and equipment (other than the machines of headings 8456 to 8465), for preparing or making plates, cylinders or other printing components; plates, cylinders and other printing components; plates, cylinders and lithographic stones, prepared for printing purposes (for example, planed, grained or polished); parts thereof
Chapter 84 › Heading 8442
2026 HTS Rev 19 Synced Rules verified Operational
Written to help non-specialists understand this page. Rates, dates, and legal facts come from the official records above and on the linked source.
HTS heading 8442 is a broad product category for equipment and items used to prepare or make printing components. It generally covers machinery, apparatus, and equipment for producing plates, cylinders, or other components used in printing, as well as the printing components themselves and certain parts. It excludes machines classified in headings 8456 through 8465.
Within heading 8442, the specific 8-digit HTS code is selected by reading the lower-level descriptions in the tariff. Those descriptions commonly distinguish products by what they are, how they are prepared, and—especially for plates or similar components—their material or construction. Start with the product’s actual function and physical characteristics, then confirm the applicable subheading, statistical suffix, unit of quantity, and any legal notes.
What to check
- Identify whether the item is printing-production machinery, a finished printing component, a prepared plate/cylinder/stone, or a part.
- Record the item’s material, construction, dimensions, and preparation—such as whether it is planed, grained, polished, coated, engraved, or otherwise made ready for printing.
- Check whether the equipment could instead fall under the exclusion for machinery covered by headings 8456 through 8465 before using heading 8442.
- Read every indented subheading and its accompanying notes; do not choose an 8-digit code from a product name alone.
- Verify the current HTS description, statistical suffix, unit of quantity, and any applicable Chapter or section notes, and obtain customs-broker advice when the product has mixed functions or unusual construction.
HTS heading 8442 summary
Machinery is a 4-digit product category containing 2 published product-code lines in this snapshot. A heading does not carry one universal duty rate; classification must be narrowed to the line matching the product facts.
How to find your code in this category
A heading is a product category. To get the exact duty, narrow from this 4-digit heading to a sub-category (usually by material), then open the 8-digit code that matches your product.
Open any code in the tables below to see its exact duty rate, a duty calculator (enter your shipment value → estimated duty and landed cost), the rate-change history chart, and the country-by-country breakdown (including Section 301/232 add-on duties).
Why you have to click in: a single category can contain products with very different duties. The rate depends on the specific product — its material and construction — and on the country of origin, and those only get pinned down at the 8-digit code level. That is why this page points you to codes instead of showing one rate for the whole category.
Sub-categories
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 8442.50 | Plates, cylinders and other printing components; plates, cylinders and lithographic stones, prepared for printing purposes (for example, planed, grained or polished) |
Product codes & duty rates
👇 Each row is a specific product code — click a blue code to open its full page with exact duty rates by country, the rate-history chart, and a duty calculator. 👉
| Code | Description | General (MFN) | Special | Column 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8442.30.01 👉 | Machinery, apparatus and equipment | Free | — | Free |
| 8442.40.00.00 👉 | Parts of the foregoing machinery, apparatus or equipment | Free | — | Free |
"Special" shows the free-trade-agreement rate; open a code to see exactly which countries qualify.
Common questions
What products fall under HTS heading 8442?
Machinery, apparatus and equipment (other than the machines of headings 8456 to 8465), for preparing or making plates, cylinders or other printing components; plates, cylinders and other printing components; plates, cylinders and lithographic stones, prepared for printing purposes (for example, planed, grained or polished); parts thereof. To classify a specific item you must pick the matching sub-category and 8-digit code above; the right choice usually depends on the material and construction of the product.
How do I choose the right code within this category?
Start from the sub-categories (typically divided by material—for example cotton versus man-made fibers), then open the active 8- or 10-digit code that matches the product. When unsure, a licensed customs broker or a CBP binding ruling can confirm the classification.
Reference information only, not customs, legal, or classification advice. Confirm the current code and rate against the official HTS before you import.