Importing Machinery into the USA

Machinery is bought on specification first and origin second, but the origin still changes the landed cost. Chinese CNC routers, fiber lasers, press brakes and production equipment sell at a fraction of Western pricing and carry Section 301 tariffs on many lines; German and Belgian equipment costs more at the factory, usually enters at a zero or low base rate plus the current surcharge on EU goods, and crosses to the East Coast in 10–14 days.

What decides whether an imported machine actually runs is largely the same everywhere: crating that survives the voyage, a mode that fits the crated dimensions, and electrical work and certification that US inspectors accept. This page compares the origins we ship from and sets out the US rules that apply to every machine. Each row links to a detailed guide.

Compare origins for machinery

Origin	Transit	Duty exposure	Typical load
Machinery & Equipment from China	About 2–3 weeks to Los Angeles from South China; longer to the East Coast	Low-to-moderate base rates; Section 301 on many Chinese machinery lines	Crated in a 20ft or 40ft by weight distribution; flat rack or open top when oversized
Woodworking & CNC Machinery from China	About 2–3 weeks to Los Angeles from South China; longer to the East Coast	Low-to-moderate base rates under heading 8465; Section 301 on many Chinese machinery lines	40ft: a crated 1325 or 1530 router (2–4 tonnes); flat rack for larger nesting cells
Metalworking Machinery from China	Pacific crossing, confirmed per booking	Low base rates on most machine tools; Section 301 varies by line; FDA laser rules on laser cutters	Weight before volume — brakes and machining centers can hit payload first; 6m+ lasers go flat rack
Machinery & Industrial Equipment from Germany	10–14 days on the water from Hamburg or Bremerhaven to the East Coast; 20–25 days to the West Coast	Zero or low base rates on many capital-equipment lines, plus the current surcharge on EU goods	Crated in standard or high-cube containers within gauge; flat rack, open top or breakbulk above it
Machinery & Industrial Goods from Belgium	10–14 days on the water from Antwerp to the East Coast; 3–4 weeks door to door	Low or zero base rates on most capital equipment, plus the current surcharge on EU goods	Container, flat rack or breakbulk by dimensions; multi-supplier consolidation through Antwerp
Machinery from Italy	9–22 days Genoa/La Spezia to New York; about 35 days to Los Angeles via Panama	Zero or low base rates topped up to 10% all-in for EU goods; listed Section 232 metals derivatives pay on full value, no EU cap	Crated in standard, high-cube or open-top containers; flat rack or breakbulk when out of gauge
Machine Tools & Robots from Japan	About 11–20 days Yokohama or Nagoya to Los Angeles/Long Beach; 25–38 days to New York	Machining centers and robots on the Section 232 temporary reduction list to end-2027; most other machine tools 12.5% all-in under the Section 301 layer	Compact machines in 20ft/40ft on skids, VCI-wrapped; open top or flat rack above container height
Machinery & Electrical Equipment from Vietnam	About 21–23 days from Cai Mep–Thi Vai to Los Angeles/Long Beach; direct Hai Phong services for the north	Low base rates plus the 12.5% Section 301 layer on most lines; Section 232 on steel, aluminum and copper content; origin by substantial transformation	20ft for dense transformers and gensets; crated 40ft; flat rack or open top when oversized
Aerospace Parts & Machinery from France	Parts by air from CDG in days; machinery 9–16 days Le Havre–New York	Certified civil-aircraft parts duty-free and outside the Section 301 layer; machinery topped up to 10% all-in plus any Section 232 metals duty	Crated within gauge; flat rack, open top or breakbulk above it

Planning guidance only — rates, surcharges and transits change, and every shipment is quoted on its own facts.

US rules that apply whatever the origin

Frequently Asked Questions