Bypass pruning shears with hardened steel blade, aluminum handles, and safety lock for gardening
Country of origin for this scenario: Taiwan.
Recommended HTS code
8201.50.00.00
Secateurs and similar one-handed pruners and shears (including poultry shears), and parts thereof
HIGH confidence. Heading 8201.50.00.00 is an eo nomine match for bypass pruning shears under GRI 1. Four on-point CBP rulings (C83790, N078860, 806283, W968434) all classify one-handed garden pruners/shears from Taiwan under 8201.50.0000 at the same duty rate. No ambiguity exists as to heading or subheading.
Classification analysis generated on July 27, 2026 from the current Harmonized Tariff Schedule and published CBP rulings, for the product description shown — our analysis, not legal advice.
How the classification was reached
GRI Reasoning
GRI 1 – Heading Determination
Heading 8201 expressly covers handtools used in agriculture, horticulture, or forestry, including secateurs and pruners of any kind. The product — bypass pruning shears with a hardened steel blade, aluminum handles, and safety lock — is a quintessential one-handed pruner. GRI 1 resolves classification at the heading level without need for GRI 2 or 3.
GRI 6 – Subheading Determination
Within heading 8201, subheading 8201.50 is specifically designated for "Secateurs and similar one-handed pruners and shears (including poultry shears), and parts thereof." Bypass pruning shears are operated with one hand and function as secateurs. No other subheading within 8201 is more specific (e.g., 8201.60 covers two-handed hedge shears; 8201.90 is a residual provision). The 10-digit statistical suffix 8201.50.00.00 is the only available breakout and appears in the verified HTS rows.
Ruling Precedent
- C83790 (1998): CBP classified an "eight inch bypass pruner" from Taiwan under 8201.50.0000 — directly on point with the same product description and same country of origin.
- N078860 (2009): One-handed garden shears with steel blades, plastic handles, and a locking hook classified under 8201.50.0000 — virtually identical feature set (spring-assisted blade, safety lock equivalent).
- 806283 (1995): Double-blade one-handed garden shears from Taiwan classified under 8201.50.0000.
- W968434 (2007): Stainless steel pruning head from Taiwan confirmed classifiable under 8201.50.
Alternatives Considered and Rejected
- 8203.20.60: Covers pliers, pincers, and similar tools. Pruning shears are more specifically described under 8201.50. Heading 8203 applies to metal-working-type hand tools, not horticultural pruners.
- 8467.89.50: Covers power-operated (pneumatic, hydraulic, or motorized) hand tools. The product is purely hand-operated; this heading is inapplicable.
- 8201.10.00: Covers spades and shovels — not applicable.
Duty Rate
- General (Column 1): 1¢ each + 2.8% ad valorem
- Column 2 (other): 20¢ each + 45%
- Origin: Taiwan — Column 1 applies; no free trade agreement rate applies (Taiwan is not in the special rate list, but Column 1 general rate applies).
- 9903.88.03 overlay flag: The footnote on 8201.50.00.00 references heading 9903.88.03, which applies only to articles the product of China. Since origin is Taiwan, this Section 301 additional tariff does not apply. No additional duty overlay is triggered.
Estimated Duty Liability (Annual)
- 9,000 units × $0.01 = $90 (specific component)
- 9,000 units × $3.80 × 2.8% = $957.60 (ad valorem component)
- Total estimated annual duty: ~$1,047.60
Cited CBP rulings
Every ruling below was fetched from CBP’s public CROSS database and verified to exist before this page was published. Links go to the official ruling text.
What it classified: Eight-inch bypass pruner from Taiwan with alloy steel Teflon-coated blade and PVC handles
Why it’s analogous: Directly on point: same product type (bypass pruner), same country of origin (Taiwan), classified under 8201.50.0000 at 1¢ each + 2.8%.
What it classified: One-handed garden shears from China with steel spring-assisted blades, ABS plastic handles, and a locking hook
Why it’s analogous: Nearly identical feature set — one-handed shears with steel blades, plastic handles, and a safety/locking mechanism — classified under 8201.50.0000.
What it classified: Double-blade one-handed garden shears (Shearhand) from Taiwan with steel blades and plastic handle
Why it’s analogous: Same country of origin (Taiwan), same heading and subheading 8201.50.0000, confirming classification of one-handed steel-blade garden cutting tools.
What it classified: Stainless steel pruning head component of a multi-purpose gardening tool from Taiwan
Why it’s analogous: Confirms that pruning heads from Taiwan are classifiable under subheading 8201.50, HTSUS, consistent with the eo nomine description of secateurs and one-handed pruners.
What the duty looks like
Duty math shown for illustrative declared values — $3.80 per unit at 9,000 units per year is our assumption for this explainer, not a measurement of anyone's imports. Your numbers will differ.
- Base duty rate (column 1, general)
- 1¢ each + 2.8%
- Annual declared value at the illustrative numbers
- $34,200
Chapter-99 overlay headings flagged on this code
- 9903.88.03 — The duty provided in the applicable subheading + 25%. Except as provided in headings 9903.88.13, 9903.88.18, 9903.88.33, 9903.88.34, 9903.88.35, 9903.88.36, 9903.88.37, 9903.88.38, 9903.88.40, 9903.88.41, 9903.88.43, 9903.88.45, 9903.88.46, 9903.88.48, 9903.88.56, 9903.88.64, 9903.88.66, 9903.88.67, 9903.88.68, or 9903.88.69, articles the product of China, as provided for in U.S. note 20(e) to this subchapter and as provided for in the subheadings enumerated in U.S. note 20(f)
Overlay applicability depends on origin, entry date, and any active exclusions — verify at entry.
Alternatives considered
The full candidate set from the fetched tariff rows — including rows that would carry a higher duty. Shown so the reasoning is checkable, not to offer a rate menu.
| Code | Description | General rate | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8203.20.60 | Other (except parts) | 12¢/doz. + 5.5% | Covers pliers, pincers, tweezers and similar tools (general rate: 12¢/doz. + 5.5%). Rejected because pruning shears are more specifically described under the eo nomine provision of 8201.50 for secateurs and one-handed pruners used in horticulture, which prevails over the general 8203 cutting-tool category. |
| 8201.60.00.00 | Hedge shears, two-handed pruning shears and similar two-handed shears, and parts thereof | 1¢ each + 2.8% | Covers hedge shears and two-handed pruning shears (general rate: 1¢ each + 2.8%). Rejected because bypass pruning shears are operated with one hand and therefore fall squarely within 8201.50 rather than the two-handed shears provision. |
| 8467.89.50 | Other | Free | Covers other power-operated hand tools (pneumatic, hydraulic, or with self-contained motor); general rate: Free. Inapplicable because the product is purely hand-operated with no motor, pneumatic, or hydraulic mechanism. |
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