9903.08.20: Section 232 UAS Not-For-UAS Carve-Out Heading

Key Points

• 9903.08.20 is a claim heading, not a duty line: it carries 0 percent additional duty because it exempts note 43(c) articles that are not for use in or with unmanned aircraft, docking stations or their parts.
• It belongs to the UAS 232 program under Proclamation 11055 (91 FR 53699) and U.S. note 43, and it applies to entries on or after September 3, 2026.
• Using it is a claim you make on the entry: it rides alongside the regular chapter 1 to 97 line, and you need records showing the goods are not for UAS use.
• The facts available for this article do not list the duty headings or rates that apply to goods that fail the carve-out, so confirm those in the current HTSUS.

On this page

1. What 9903.08.20 is and which program created it
2. Scope: what the heading text covers
3. Rate and effective window
4. How it appears on an entry and how it fits with other headings
5. What importers should do
6. Key references

9903.08.20 is the Section 232 unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) heading that importers claim when their articles fall under the U.S. note 43(c) provisions but are not for use in or with unmanned aircraft, docking stations or their parts. It carries no additional duty (0 percent) and applies to entries on or after September 3, 2026, as of October 2026.

The links in this article go to the primary documents: the proclamations, Federal Register notices, and official tariff schedule pages themselves. Read the source.

What 9903.08.20 is and which program created it

The code sits in the UAS 232 program, which was created under Proclamation 11055, published at 91 FR 53699 (FR doc 2026-16979), together with U.S. note 43 to the HTSUS. The official heading text reads: "Articles under the U.S. note 43(c) provisions that are not for use in or with unmanned aircraft, docking stations or their parts: no additional duty."

That wording matters. This is an exemption or exception heading inside the program. Nothing is added to your duty bill by reporting it. Its job is to tell CBP that the goods were reviewed against note 43(c) and fall on the no-additional-duty side.

Scope: what the heading text covers

The test is end use

The heading turns on what the article is for. It covers articles that fall under the note 43(c) provisions and are not for use in or with:

• unmanned aircraft,
• docking stations, or
• parts of unmanned aircraft or docking stations.

If the same article is destined for use in or with a UAS, docking station or their parts, this carve-out is not the heading that describes it. Read the note 43 text in the current HTSUS to see how the program treats that situation.

What this article cannot tell you

The facts available here do not list the HTS subheadings that note 43(c) reaches, any country list, or the duty headings and rates for goods outside the carve-out. Do not fill those gaps from memory. Confirm them in the HTSUS or with your broker before you classify or claim anything.

Rate and effective window

The additional duty under 9903.08.20 is 0 percent, for entries on or after September 3, 2026, the effective date for this heading. The facts for this article state no end date, so check the current HTSUS and CBP guidance for any later changes before you rely on the heading for a new entry.

Remember the regular duty is separate. Claiming a no-additional-duty heading does not remove the ordinary column 1 duty on the chapter 1 to 97 line. It only means the program adds nothing on top.

How it appears on an entry and how it fits with other headings

Reporting on the entry

As with other Chapter 99 headings, 9903.08.20 is reported alongside the regular tariff line for the goods, not in place of it. The article keeps its normal classification, and the Chapter 99 line records the program treatment you are claiming. Your broker should build the entry so both lines appear for each affected item.

Related claim headings

The UAS 232 program also has claim headings for onshoring-plan exceptions, 9903.08.25 and 9903.08.26. Like 9903.08.20, each carries no duty itself: they are headings an importer claims, and each is reported beside a duty heading in the program. The facts for this article do not name which duty heading each one sits beside, so read the sequence in the HTSUS note 43 and Chapter 99 pages rather than assuming it.

Other duties

Nothing in this heading changes duties from other programs. Section 301, antidumping and countervailing duties, and ordinary MFN duties are determined separately. For China-origin goods, see our Section 301 list overview. For a wider view of the year's Chapter 99 headings, see the 2026 tariff code overview.

What importers should do

• Decide, line by line, whether each article under note 43(c) is for use in or with UAS, docking stations or their parts, and keep the supporting records (end-use statements, purchase orders, supplier confirmations).
• Give your broker the end-use determination before filing so the correct Chapter 99 heading is reported beside the regular line for entries on or after September 3, 2026.
• Review entries already filed in the program. If a line carried the wrong heading, look at the Post Summary Correction windows and the options for recovering overpaid duty.
• Re-check the HTSUS and CBP messages periodically, since this article reflects information as of October 2026.

Key references

• Federal Register document 2026-16979 (91 FR 53699): Proclamation 11055, the legal authority for the UAS 232 action.
• Harmonized Tariff Schedule (USITC): official text of U.S. note 43 and heading 9903.08.20.
• White House presidential actions: landing page for proclamations and executive orders.
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection: guidance and CSMS messages on Chapter 99 reporting.