HTS heading 9609 · Chapter 96
HTS 9609: Pencils, crayons, pencil leads, pastels, drawing…
HTS heading 9609 covers pencils (other than those pencils of heading 9608), crayons, pencil leads, pastels, drawing charcoals, writing or drawing chalks and tailors' chalks. It has 7 tariff lines with a duty rate; the general (MFN) rates are Free (4 lines), 14¢/gross + 4.3% (1 line), 3.5% (1 line) and others.
Imports may also owe Chapter 99 tariffs (Section 232, 301 or 201) depending on origin and date, plus the Merchandise Processing Fee and, by sea, the Harbor Maintenance Fee.
Rates from the 2026 HTS Revision 22, effective October 30, 2026. Source: U.S. International Trade Commission.
Tariff lines and duty rates
| HTS code | Description | General | Special | Column 2 | Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9609.10.00.00 | Pencils and crayons, with leads encased in a sheath[gross] | 14¢/gross + 4.3% | Free (A*,AU,BH,CL,CO,D,E,IL,JO,KR,MA,OM,P,PA,PE,S,SG) | 50¢/gross + 30% | Estimate → |
| 9609.20 | Pencil leads, black or colored: | ||||
| 9609.20.20.00 | Not over 1.5 mm in maximum cross-sectional dimension[gross] | Free | 20¢/gross | Estimate → | |
| 9609.20.40.00 | Over 1.5 mm in maximum cross-sectional dimension[gross] | Free | 6¢/gross | Estimate → | |
| 9609.90 | Other: | ||||
| 9609.90.40.00 | Tailors' chalks[kg] | Free | 25% | Estimate → | |
| 9609.90.80.00 | Other[gross] | Free | 50¢/gross + 30% | Estimate → | |
| 9610.00.00.00 | Slates and boards, with writing or drawing surfaces, whether or not framed[No.] | 3.5% | Free (A*,AU,BH,CL,CO,D,E,IL,JO,KR,MA,OM,P,PA,PE,S,SG) | 33 1/3% | Estimate → |
| 9611.00.00.00 | Date, sealing or numbering stamps and the like, (including devices for printing or embossing labels), designed for operating in the hand; hand-operated composing sticks and hand printing sets incorporating such composing sticks[No.] | 2.7% | Free (A,AU,BH,CL,CO,D,E,IL,JO,KR,MA,OM,P,PA,PE,S,SG) | 80% | Estimate → |
7 lines shown. Statistical suffixes (the last two digits) inherit the rate of the 8-digit subheading above them.
Example: base duty and fees on $10000
For HTS 9610.00.00.00 at the general rate of 3.5%, shipped by ocean, before any Chapter 99 tariffs:
| Base duty (3.5%) | $350.00 |
| Merchandise Processing Fee (0.3464%, min $34.58) | $34.64 |
| Harbor Maintenance Fee (0.125%) | $12.50 |
| Duty and fees | $397.14 |
Origin-specific tariffs can multiply this. Run this example from China or from Mexico to see every line.
Special program codes in this heading
- A, A*, A+
- Generalized System of Preferences (GSP)
- AU
- U.S.–Australia FTA
- BH
- U.S.–Bahrain FTA
- CL
- U.S.–Chile FTA
- CO
- U.S.–Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement
- D
- African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)
- E, E*
- Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act
- IL
- U.S.–Israel FTA
- JO
- U.S.–Jordan FTA
- KR
- U.S.–Korea FTA (KORUS)
- MA
- U.S.–Morocco FTA
- OM
- U.S.–Oman FTA
- P, P+
- CAFTA-DR
- PA
- U.S.–Panama Trade Promotion Agreement
- PE
- U.S.–Peru Trade Promotion Agreement
- S, S+
- USMCA (United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement)
- SG
- U.S.–Singapore FTA
A special rate applies only when the goods qualify under that program's rules of origin and the claim is made at entry.