HS Code for Gasket
Gaskets are most often associated with HTS heading 8484, the dedicated provision for gaskets and similar joints of metal sheeting combined with other material, sets or assortments of gaskets, and mechanical seals. When a gasket is made wholly of vulcanized rubber, it points instead toward heading 4016 (gaskets, washers and seals of rubber), and when made of plastics, toward the dedicated plastic-seal line in heading 3926. General duty rates are modest, roughly 2.5% to 3.9%, and the material is the main factor that decides which heading applies.
| HTS Code | Description | Duty Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 8484.10.00.00 | Gaskets and similar joints of metal sheeting combined with other material, or of two or more layers of metal Composite metal / metal-and-other-material gaskets (the dedicated gasket line) | 2.5% |
| 8484.90.00.00 | Sets or assortments of gaskets and similar joints, dissimilar in composition, in pouches or similar packings Gasket sets and kits (mixed materials) | 2.5% |
| 8484.20.00.00 | Mechanical seals Rotating-shaft mechanical seals | 3.9% |
| 4016.93.10.50 | Gaskets, washers and seals of vulcanized rubber — for use in machinery, equipment or vehicles Rubber gaskets/seals for machinery and vehicles | 2.5% |
| 4016.93.50.50 | Gaskets, washers and seals of vulcanized rubber — other Other vulcanized-rubber gaskets, washers and seals | 2.5% |
| 3926.90.45.90 | Gaskets, washers and other seals of plastics Plastic gaskets, washers and seals | 3.5% |
Gaskets have their own dedicated heading, 8484, which is a useful starting point. That heading covers gaskets and similar joints made of metal sheeting combined with other material (or of two or more metal layers), sets or assortments of gaskets that are dissimilar in composition and put up in packings, and mechanical seals. A composite head gasket, a multi-layer steel gasket, and a packaged gasket kit all point toward heading 8484.
The key branch is by material. Heading 8484 is the home for metal and composite gaskets and for mixed-material gasket sets. But a gasket, washer or seal made wholly of vulcanized rubber is provided for specifically in heading 4016 (4016.93), with breakouts for items used in machinery, equipment or vehicles versus other uses. A gasket, washer or seal made of plastics points toward the dedicated 'gaskets, washers and other seals' line within heading 3926 (3926.90.45).
Mechanical seals — the spring-loaded rotating-shaft seals used in pumps and similar equipment — sit at 8484.20 regardless of their component materials, because they are named there specifically.
The practical approach is to identify the gasket's material first. If it is metal or a metal-and-other-material composite, or a mixed-material set, heading 8484 applies; if wholly rubber, heading 4016; if plastic, heading 3926. Avoid defaulting a single-material rubber or plastic gasket into 8484, and avoid reading the broad 'other articles of plastics' lines (buckets, household items and the like) as gasket provisions — the plastic gasket line is the specific seals breakout.
Duty rates for gaskets are modest and cluster closely. Composite metal gaskets and gasket sets under heading 8484 are around 2.5%, and mechanical seals around 3.9%. Rubber gaskets, washers and seals under heading 4016 are around 2.5%, and plastic gaskets, washers and seals under heading 3926 around 3.5%. Preferential rates under free trade agreements may reduce or eliminate these duties for qualifying origins. Because the rates are close across materials, the main reason to identify the right heading is correct classification rather than a large duty difference.