HS Code for Industrial Valve: 8481.10 vs 8481.20 vs 8481.80 by Function

Industrial valves are workhorse components in oil and gas, water treatment, chemical processing, HVAC, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and power generation. The 2026 duty landscape for Chinese-origin valves is heavily stacked. US, Mexican, Korean, German valve sources have all gained share since 2022 driven by Section 301 plus Section 122.

This guide covers the HTS 8481 functional split, the country-specific duty stack, the Section 232 derivative implications for steel-body valves, and worked examples for typical procurement lanes.

Heading 8481 structure

HTS 8481 covers taps, cocks, valves, and similar appliances for pipes, tanks, vats, or the like. Subheadings:

• 8481.10: Pressure-reducing valves.
• 8481.20: Valves for oleohydraulic or pneumatic transmissions.
• 8481.30: Check (non-return) valves.
• 8481.40: Safety or relief valves.
• 8481.80: Other appliances (the largest subheading: gate, ball, butterfly, globe, plug, needle, diaphragm, solenoid, motor-operated, etc).
• 8481.90: Parts.

Within 8481.80, statistical annotations split by valve type and connection size.

Worked example: Chinese gate valves

100,000 USD of HTS 8481.80.30 cast iron gate valves from China.

Effective rate 71.8 percent. Chinese gate valves are heavily penalized. Korean, Italian, and Mexican alternatives have absorbed substituted volume.

Worked example: Italian ball valves

200,000 USD of HTS 8481.80.50 Italian ball valves (EU producer like SIRCA or RIV).

Effective rate 34.3 percent. Italian valves pay Section 232 derivative on steel content but no Section 301. Section 122 at EU rate is meaningful.

Worked example: Korean industrial valves

300,000 USD of HTS 8481.80.50 Korean ball valves under KORUS.

Effective rate 35.2 percent. The Section 232 derivative on the steel body and the Section 122 surcharge stack additively on the non-232 value. KORUS waives MFN but does NOT carve out Section 122. Korean valves still beat the Chinese stack but the gap is narrower than headline assumptions suggest.

Worked example: Mexican USMCA-qualifying valves

200,000 USD of HTS 8481.80.50 Mexican valves with US-melt steel body, USMCA-qualifying.

Effective rate 0.3 percent. The cheapest landed cost path for industrial valves in 2026.

Worked example: Indian ball valves

100,000 USD of HTS 8481.80.50 Indian ball valves from a Gujarat valve manufacturer.

Effective rate 48.8 percent. India is competitive with Italy and Korea on landed cost basis. Indian valve industry has gained US market share post-Section 301.

Section 232 derivative on valves

Cast iron and steel-body valves above a specific size threshold fall into the expanded 2025 derivative annex. The 232 rule applies to the steel-value portion only with producer affidavit.

For a typical cast iron gate valve:

• Body and bonnet: ~55 percent of unit value (cast iron, in derivative scope).
• Internals (stem, disc, seat): ~20 percent (often non-steel or different steel grade).
• Actuator, packaging, handle: ~25 percent (non-steel typically).

Producer affidavit identifies the steel value share. Without affidavit, CBP defaults to 50 percent on full unit value, materially over-stating the duty.

ADCVD landscape

Limited active orders on specific valve subcategories. Most general industrial valves are not in scope. Relevant orders:

• Oil country tubular goods (OCTG) valves and associated parts: covered under separate OCTG orders.
• Specific Chinese steel ball bearings (used in some valve actuators): A-570-064.
• No general 8481 AD order against China, India, Korea, or other major sources.

Always verify against the Commerce database for the specific subheading before importing.

USMCA RVC qualification challenges

Mexican valve assembly is a growing channel for US-bound supply. USMCA chapter 84 rule requires 60 percent transaction value RVC.

Common BOM for a Mexican-assembled valve:

• Cast iron body (Mexican foundry or US-cast)
• Stainless steel internals (often Chinese or Korean)
• Bronze packing
• Aluminum or steel handle/actuator
• Mexican labor (assembly, painting, testing)

If internals are Chinese, the RVC test typically fails because the internals account for 20 to 30 percent of value as non-originating. The valve must either use Mexican or US internals, or rely on Mexico's bilateral Section 122 suppression (which applies regardless of per-shipment USMCA qualification).

Documentation that supports the classification

• Valve specification (type, size, pressure rating, material grade).
• Material certifications (NSF, API, ANSI as applicable).
• Producer body of evidence for substantial transformation (where valve assembly happened).
• For Section 232 affidavit: steel value share, melt origin.
• For USMCA: per-line BOM with origin.

Run your industrial valve entry now

The LandedFees calculator handles 8481 with the country-specific stack, the Section 232 derivative split on steel-body valves, the USMCA RVC test for Mexican production, and the KORUS preference for Korean origin.

Calculate a valve entry

Section 122 status as of June 20 2026

The May 7 2026 Court of International Trade ruling in Oregon v. United States (consolidated with Burlap and Barrel v. United States) struck down the Section 122 proclamation. The Federal Circuit issued an administrative stay on May 12 2026, so CBP is still collecting the duty pending appeal. Importers paying now should preserve protest rights and refund claims in case the government loses on the merits. The underlying Section 122 authority sunsets July 24 2026 under the statutory 150-day ceiling, regardless of the appeal outcome, unless Congress extends or a fresh proclamation restarts the clock.

Citations

• USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule heading 8481: https://hts.usitc.gov/?query=8481
• USTR Section 301 List 1
• Section 232 derivative annex 2025 expansion
• USMCA Annex 4-B chapter 84 rule of origin
• KORUS tariff schedule