HTS classification
Confirm the product description and current ten-digit U.S. tariff classification for the finished earbud set.
U.S. IMPORT PLANNING
Compare earbud tariffs and landed cost without relying on a headline rate.
Tariff exposure depends on the final product classification, country of origin, customs value, current trade measures and entry date. Use this page to prepare the questions—not as a binding customs determination.
REFERENCE STATUSReviewed against U.S. government sources · Updated August 22, 2026Rates and trade actions can change before entry
START WITH CLASSIFICATION
Wireless earbuds generally enter the HTS review under heading 8518.30.
The current U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule describes 8518.30 as headphones and earphones, whether or not combined with a microphone. The exact statistical suffix, base duty and any Chapter 99 measure must still be confirmed for the final product and entry facts.
Check the current USITC HTS entry ↗LANDED-COST WORKSHEET
Six inputs before comparing China and Vietnam.
Use the same approved specification, quantity, packaging and delivery destination for both route calculations.
Country of origin
Origin is not determined by the shipping port. Review where the product is manufactured and whether the work constitutes substantial transformation.
Additional trade measures
Check current Section 301, IEEPA or other applicable measures and whether a valid exclusion or exception matches the exact product.
Customs value
Confirm the transaction value and treatment of assists, tooling, packing, royalties or other additions where applicable.
Freight and entry
Add international freight, insurance, broker, bond, merchandise-processing and other entry-related costs.
Domestic delivery
Include port, warehouse, inspection, storage and final delivery costs to compare the usable landed result.
Planning formulaProduct value + applicable duties and trade measures + freight and insurance + entry costs + domestic delivery + route-specific setup and validation
CHINA, VIETNAM & DUAL SOURCE
Country labels alone do not decide the answer.
Compare route economics only after product, material flow, origin and production readiness are understood.
China route
Review current base duty, applicable China trade measures, product-specific exclusions, component access, tooling and development speed.
China manufacturing →Vietnam route
Confirm that the intended manufacturing work supports the claimed origin, then include imported components, transfer, qualification, scale and current U.S. measures.
Vietnam manufacturing →Dual-source route
Include duplicate tooling or fixtures, sample correlation, pilot qualification, quality alignment, origin separation and forecast support.
Dual-source planning →CURRENT POLICY WATCH
Three items U.S. importers should recheck before shipment.
Section 301
USTR maintains the official China Section 301 actions and exclusion process. An exclusion applies only when the product meets its exact HTS and description scope.
Official source ↗Country of origin
CBP marking rules require foreign-origin goods to be marked with the English country name unless an exception applies. Assembly location alone does not automatically settle origin.
Official source ↗Entry and de minimis
Low-value shipment treatment and additional duty rules have changed. Commercial programs should not build their landed-cost case around an assumed de minimis exemption.
Official source ↗DECISION BOUNDARY
What EarbudSource can prepare—and what the importer must confirm.
- Model and configuration shortlist
- Proposed production country
- Supplier and component-flow inputs
- Packing, shipment and quotation assumptions
- China / Vietnam route comparison
- Open questions for broker review
- Final HTS classification
- Country-of-origin determination
- Customs value and additions
- Applicable Chapter 99 measures
- Exclusion eligibility
- Duty calculation and entry filing