Pickleball Paddle Tariff Tracker: US Import Duty, Kept Current
The tariff on pickleball paddles changed three times between early 2025 and mid 2026, and most guides still quote a dead rate. This page tracks the current duty by origin, sourced to the ruling and the Federal Register, and gets updated when the rates move.
Last verified 28 August 2026 against the sources listed at the bottom. If you are citing paddle tariff rates anywhere, you are welcome to link or quote this table, or embed the chart, with credit. If a rate changes before we catch it, tell us and we will verify and update the page.
Current rates, August 2026
| Origin | Base duty | Section 301 List 4A (2020) | Section 301 forced labor (Jul 2026) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 4% | 7.5% | 12.5% | 24% |
| Vietnam | 4% | none | 12.5% | 16.5% |
| Thailand | 4% | none | 12.5% | 16.5% |
The change log
| When | What changed |
|---|---|
| 2020 | Section 301 List 4A settles at 7.5% on sporting goods from China, on top of the 4% base duty |
| Early 2025 | Emergency tariffs under IEEPA push effective rates far higher and change repeatedly through the year |
| May 2025 | The $800 de minimis exemption ends for Chinese goods: samples and small orders start paying duty |
| August 2025 | De minimis ends for every country by executive order |
| February 2026 | The Supreme Court strikes down the 2025 emergency tariffs; a temporary 10% surcharge takes their place |
| 24 July 2026 | The surcharge lapses and a new Section 301 forced-labor action takes effect: 12.5% on goods from China, Vietnam and Thailand, among others. This is the operative measure today |
What the rate does to a real order
Since de minimis ended, there is no duty-free path for small shipments either: every commercial entry pays the rate above plus a customs bond and broker filing, typically $150 to $500 per shipment at first-timer volumes.
What we are watching
Three things are most likely to change this page next. Section 301 actions carry review cycles, and the July 2026 forced-labor action is new enough that exclusion requests and rate adjustments are still possible. The de minimis suspension has survived its court challenges so far, but litigation continues. And classification itself can move: the 4 percent base rests on CBP's ruling practice for paddles, which a future ruling could revise. When any of them moves, this page moves.
Common questions
What is the import tariff on pickleball paddles right now?
As of August 2026: 24 percent total on paddles made in China, and 16.5 percent on paddles made in Vietnam or Thailand. That is the 4 percent base duty under HTS 9506.99.60, plus 7.5 percent Section 301 List 4A for China only, plus the 12.5 percent Section 301 forced-labor tariff in effect since 24 July 2026.
Can small orders still come in duty free under de minimis?
No. The $800 de minimis exemption ended for Chinese goods in May 2025 and for every country that August, and it has stayed dead through the court fights since. Every commercial shipment now clears customs and pays duty.
Why do other guides quote different rates?
Because the rules changed three times in eighteen months. The 2025 emergency tariffs were struck down in February 2026, a temporary 10 percent surcharge ran until July 2026, and the current Section 301 forced-labor rates took effect on 24 July 2026. A guide written in 2025, in either direction, is out of date.
Sources
- CBP ruling N347450, paddle classification and base duty
- Federal Register, Section 301 forced-labor tariff actions, July 2026
- Executive Order suspending de minimis for all countries
- Drewry World Container Index via gCaptain, August 2026 ocean rates
This is a living page. Rates re-verified 28 August 2026; the Updated date above reflects the most recent check. If a figure here no longer matches the ruling or the Federal Register, tell us and we will correct it.
Keep reading
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How Many USA Pickleball Approved Paddles Are There? The Count
