9903.94.54 Explained: Japan Auto Parts Rated 15% or More

Key Points

• 9903.94.54 is a Section 232 autos and auto-parts heading under subdivision (r) of U.S. note 33 to subchapter III of chapter 99, and it covers automobile parts the product of Japan.
• The heading applies only where the part has an ad valorem (or ad valorem equivalent) column 1 rate of duty equal to or greater than 15 percent.
• The HTSUS general column rate for 9903.94.54 is "The duty provided in the applicable subheading," so the heading adds no duty of its own.
• The base headings that country-deal variants like this one modify are 9903.94.01 and 9903.94.05.
• As of November 2026, the facts available to us carry no separate deal rate or effective window for this heading, so confirm both in the current HTSUS before you file.

On this page

1. Direct answer: what 9903.94.54 is
2. What the heading text says
3. How the heading works on an entry
4. Relationship to other Section 232 auto headings
5. What importers should do
6. Key references

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

Direct answer: what 9903.94.54 is

9903.94.54 is a Chapter 99 heading in the Section 232 autos and auto-parts program. It is used for automobile parts the product of Japan whose column 1 rate of duty is 15 percent or more. As of November 2026, the heading text in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule gives its rate as "The duty provided in the applicable subheading," which means it is a claim heading and does not itself add a duty.

What the heading text says

The official heading text reads:

Automobile parts the product of Japan with an ad valorem (or ad valorem equivalent) rate of duty under column 1 equal to or greater than 15 percent, as provided for in subdivision (r) of U.S. note 33 to this subchapter.

Three conditions sit inside that sentence, and an entry has to satisfy all of them.

Product of Japan

The heading is limited to parts that are the product of Japan. Country of origin, not country of shipment, is the question. If you are unsure how origin has been determined for a part, settle that before you pick a Chapter 99 line. Accurate manufacturer data on the entry also matters, and our explainer on the MID code covers how that is reported.

Automobile parts

The heading covers automobile parts as provided for in subdivision (r) of U.S. note 33. Which specific 8-digit or 10-digit subheadings count as auto parts is set out in the note itself and its annex, not in this article. Check your subheading against the current text on hts.usitc.gov.

Column 1 rate of 15 percent or more

The heading looks at the ad valorem (or ad valorem equivalent) rate of duty under column 1 of the regular chapter 1 to 97 subheading. The threshold is "equal to or greater than 15 percent." The facts available to us do not say what applies to Japan-origin parts below that threshold. Confirm that in the current HTSUS or with your broker rather than assuming it.

How the heading works on an entry

A Chapter 99 heading rides alongside the regular chapter 1 to 97 line. It does not replace it. For a qualifying Japan-origin auto part, the entry carries two things:

• The normal classification line for the part, with its ordinary column 1 duty treatment.
• The 9903.94.54 line, which signals that the Section 232 provisions in subdivision (r) of U.S. note 33 apply to the part.

Because the general rate is "The duty provided in the applicable subheading," the 9903.94.54 line is not where you compute a new percentage. The duty is the one provided in the applicable subheading. Do not add a separate Section 232 percentage on top of this line unless the current HTSUS text of the note directs you to.

What this article does not state

The facts available for this heading carry the heading text and the general rate. They do not carry an entry date, an effective window, or a deal rate. We are not filling that gap from memory. Before filing, read subdivision (r) of U.S. note 33 in the current HTSUS and confirm the entry date conditions and any rate it describes.

Fees that still apply

A claim heading does not remove ordinary entry fees. Depending on the entry, the merchandise processing fee and, for ocean shipments, the harbor maintenance fee are calculated separately from this heading.

Relationship to other Section 232 auto headings

The country-deal variants in the autos and auto-parts program modify base headings. For auto parts and the related vehicle headings, those base headings are 9903.94.01 and 9903.94.05. 9903.94.54 is a variant tied to Japan, so read it together with those base headings and with subdivision (r) of U.S. note 33.

Several sibling headings exist for Japan and for other partners. We have separate explainers on a few of them:

• 9903.94.42, the Section 232 Japan auto parts heading.
• 9903.94.40, the Section 232 autos heading for Japan vehicles.
• 9903.94.44, the Section 232 EU auto parts heading.

Picking the right heading among these depends on origin and on the column 1 rate of the part, so compare the exact heading text before you choose. The wider code landscape is on our 2026 tariff code overview.

What importers should do

• Confirm that the part is the product of Japan and that its subheading is listed as an auto part under subdivision (r) of U.S. note 33 in the current HTSUS.
• Check the column 1 ad valorem (or ad valorem equivalent) rate of the regular subheading against the 15 percent threshold in the heading text, and compare 9903.94.54 with the sibling Japan headings before you pick one.
• Have your broker report 9903.94.54 alongside the chapter 1 to 97 line, and verify the entry date and rate conditions in the note, since they are not carried in the facts behind this article.
• Review past entries for Japan-origin parts. If a heading was misapplied, note the 180-day protest deadline that runs from liquidation.

Key references

• Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (USITC): official text of 9903.94.54, 9903.94.01, 9903.94.05, and U.S. note 33 to subchapter III of chapter 99.
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection: CBP guidance and CSMS messages on Section 232 autos and auto-parts entries.
• Federal Register: search here for the Section 232 autos and auto-parts notices that amend the HTSUS.