HS Code for Injection Molding Machines
Injection-molding machines are provided for in heading 8477 of the HTSUS, which covers machinery for working rubber or plastics. Complete injection-molding machines point toward subheading 8477.10, where dedicated lines separate machines for making footwear and optical media (which enter Free) from other injection-molding machines, including those for rubber or thermosetting materials (around 3.1 percent). Other rubber and plastics machinery not specified elsewhere points toward 8477.80, and parts of injection-molding machines toward 8477.90. Most complete-machine and parts lines run at a general rate around 3.1 percent, with the footwear and optical-media machines entering Free, so the machine's use and whether you have a machine or a part are the first things to confirm in exploring the most appropriate subheading.
HTS Codes for Injection Molding Machines
| HTS Code | Description | Duty Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 8477.10.30.00 | Injection-molding machines for manufacturing shoes Injection-molding machines used for manufacturing footwear | Free |
| 8477.10.40.00 | Injection-molding machines for use in the manufacture of optical media Injection-molding machines used to make optical media (discs) | Free |
| 8477.10.90.15 | Other injection-molding machines, of a type used for processing rubber or other thermosetting materials Other injection-molding machines, including those for rubber or thermosetting materials | 3.10% |
| 8477.80.01.00 | Other machinery for working rubber or plastics Other rubber/plastics working machinery not elsewhere specified in the heading | 3.10% |
| 8477.90.25.40 | Parts of machines of subheading 8477.10.30, 8477.10.40 or 8477.10.90 Parts of injection-molding machines (base of a mold or other parts) | 3.10% |
| 8477.90.45.01 | Barrel screws Barrel screws (a named part of plastics/rubber machinery) | 3.10% |
| 8477.90.65.00 | Hydraulic assemblies incorporating more than one of a manifold, valves, pump or oil cooler Hydraulic assemblies for plastics/rubber machinery | 3.10% |
| 8477.90.86.01 | Other parts of injection-molding machines Other parts specifically of injection-molding machines | 3.10% |
How to Approach Classification for Injection Molding Machines
Injection-molding machines have a clear home in heading 8477, the provision for machinery for working rubber or plastics or for the manufacture of products from these materials, not specified elsewhere in the chapter. The starting point is confirming that the machine is an injection-molding machine (as opposed to an extruder, a blow-molding machine or a press, which share the heading but sit in different subheadings), and then choosing the right subheading by the machine's intended use.
Complete injection-molding machines point toward subheading 8477.10. Within that subheading the branch is the material or product the machine is built to process. There are dedicated lines for machines used to manufacture footwear and for machines used in the manufacture of optical media, and a residual line for other injection-molding machines, including those of a type used for processing rubber or other thermosetting materials. So the machine's designed application is what separates the duty-free lines from the general 'other' line.
Other rubber and plastics working machinery that is not one of the named machine types in the heading points toward the residual 'other machinery' subheading 8477.80. This is where machines that work these materials but are not injection molders, extruders or the other specifically named machines are gathered.
Parts are handled together in subheading 8477.90. That subheading covers parts of the machines in the heading, with named lines such as barrel screws and hydraulic assemblies, a line for parts of the 8477.10 injection-molding machines, and a residual line for other parts of injection-molding machines. A practical way to approach it is to confirm first whether you have a complete machine or a part; for a complete machine, identify its intended use to choose the 8477.10 line; for a part, match it to the named parts lines in 8477.90. That sequence points toward a single most-appropriate subheading to explore. It is generally better to stay within heading 8477 than to reach for the molds heading 8480 (which covers the tooling, not the machine) or general parts headings, since heading 8477 provides for this machinery specifically.
Duty Rate Overview
General duty rates across heading 8477 are modest and cluster closely. Injection-molding machines for manufacturing footwear (8477.10.30) and for the manufacture of optical media (8477.10.40) enter at a general rate of Free. Other injection-molding machines, including those for rubber or thermosetting materials (8477.10.90), the residual 'other machinery' line (8477.80), and the parts lines in subheading 8477.90 all run around 3.1 percent. Because most lines carry the same 3.1 percent rate, the main reason to identify the right line is a better classification suggestion rather than a large change in estimated duty, with the footwear and optical-media machines being the exception that enters Free. Preferential rates under free trade agreements may reduce or eliminate these duties for qualifying origins. These figures are estimates for general planning purposes only.