# US Fishing Lure Import Requirements: What Importers Need to Check Before Shipping

> HTS 9507.90.70, 9% duty, origin marking, ISF, FY2027 MPF and Prop 65 for US lure importers.

Source: https://luressource.com/opportunities/us-fishing-lure-import-requirements/

Direct answer. Most conventional artificial fishing lures imported into the US are classified under HTS 9507.90.70 - Artificial baits and flies - with a 9% general duty rate, but classification, country of origin, additional trade-remedy duties, marking and product-safety obligations must still be checked for the actual product. For a normal commercial shipment an importer should verify: HTS classification, country of origin, normal duty, additional tariff, marking, customs entry, ocean ISF where applicable, product safety, state-level requirements and documentation - before calculating retail margin, not after the container leaves China. Frequently asked questions. Q: What is the HTS code for artificial fishing lures in the USA? A: The current HTS lists artificial baits and flies under 9507.90.70.00. Q: What is the normal US duty on artificial fishing lures? A: The current general rate under HTS 9507.90.70 is 9%. Additional duties or special treatment can apply depending on origin and current trade measures. Q: Do fishing lures imported from China need "Made in China" marking? A: Foreign-origin products generally need compliant country-of-origin marking unless an applicable exception exists. The precise method depends on the article and packaging. Q: Do I need ISF for fishing lures? A: If the merchandise is being imported by vessel and falls within the ISF requirements, the necessary filing information generally needs to be transmitted before loading at the foreign port. Q: Are fishing lures children's products? A: Not automatically. CPSC focuses on whether a product is designed or intended primarily for children age 12 or younger. Q: Do lead fishing products require California Proposition 65 attention? A: Potentially. OEHHA specifically recognizes lead exposure issues associated with fishing tackle. A product-specific analysis is required rather than assuming every lead product receives the same treatment. Sources (2). 1) UN Comtrade — China export statistics under HS 9507, 2023-2024 (retrieved from the official API) — https://comtradeplus.un.org/ 2) Harmonized System heading 9507 (rods, hooks, reels, lures) — US HTS lookup — https://hts.usitc.gov/ Most US import problems with fishing lures are not discovered at the border. They are created months earlier, at the spreadsheet stage — when the HTS code is guessed, the origin mark is an afterthought, and the commercial invoice is written by someone who has never seen the product. This guide walks the full chain a private-label importer actually has to own: classification, origin, marking, duty, filing, safety and state-level compliance. HTS 9507.90.70 and its 9% general rate are the starting point, not the finish line. 2. Why Product Classification Needs to Happen Before the Purchase Order The HTS code affects: duty; trade remedies; customs reporting; landed cost; sometimes other import requirements. Consider a private-label brand buying: soft plastic lures; metal jigs; hooks; rods. Those products may ship from the same supplier. They should not automatically receive one tariff code because they appeared on one commercial invoice. The importer should classify the merchandise by what it actually is. 3. Fishing Lure Duty Is Not Always the Full Tariff The 9% general rate on HTS 9507.90.70 is only the starting point. Country-specific preference programmes and additional trade measures can change the result. The current HTS itself displays special rates for qualifying origins, and USTR maintains a separate Section 301 search system for determining whether China-origin goods under a particular HTS subheading are affected by additional measures. For China-origin products, therefore, do not write: "Fishing lure duty = 9%" into a permanent spreadsheet. Use separate fields: Base Duty Additional / Chapter 99 Duty Then verify both against the current tariff schedule before entry. Trade measures change much faster than lure molds. 4. Country of Origin Must Be Correct Country of origin is not simply the country from which the carton was shipped. Under US rules, further work in another country must normally result in a substantial transformation before that country becomes the origin for marking purposes. This matters increasingly as brands use multi-country supply chains. For example: body manufactured in China; paint applied somewhere else; packaging performed in a third country. Do not assume that the last country in the logistics chain becomes the product origin. If the manufacturing structure is complex or commercially significant, obtain a proper customs-origin analysis. 5. Imported Products Generally Need Country-of-Origin Marking Under 19 CFR 134.11, unless an exception applies, foreign-origin articles imported into the US must be marked conspicuously, legibly and sufficiently permanently to indicate the English name of the country of origin to the ultimate purchaser. For a China-origin private-label lure, that might mean an appropriate: Made in China or equivalent compliant origin indication. Exactly where the marking belongs can depend on the article and packaging arrangement. For many small lure products, retail packaging becomes an important part of the marking plan. 6. Country-of-Origin Marking Must Survive to the Purchaser Sticker marking is not automatically prohibited. The regulations allow pressure-sensitive or paper labels in appropriate situations, but they need to be placed conspicuously and secured well enough to remain until delivery to the ultimate purchaser unless deliberately removed. That means a small loose sticker that falls off during warehouse handling creates a different compliance risk from a securely printed or attached origin label. Packaging QC should therefore verify origin marking. Not only logo placement. 7. Be Careful With "Designed in USA" This is a relevant issue for private-label tackle brands. Imagine packaging states prominently: DESIGNED IN TEXAS, USA while the product is manufactured in China. US rules specifically address situations where a US locality or another country name could mislead the ultimate purchaser about origin. FTC guidance also makes clear that foreign-origin and US-origin marketing claims must not mislead consumers. Do not let branding typography make the actual manufacturing origin ambiguous. 8. "Ships From USA" Does Not Mean "Made in USA" This distinction is useful for DTC fishing brands. A lure manufactured in China and stocked in a Texas warehouse can legitimately ship from the United States. That does not make the lure American-made. The FTC distinguishes concepts such as "Made in USA," "Assembled in USA" and "Ships from USA." An unqualified Made in USA claim generally requires the product to be assembled in the US, with all significant processing occurring there and all or virtually all components being US-origin. Private-label brands should make sure website marketing agrees with the actual supply chain. 9. Ocean Freight Requires ISF Planning For cargo arriving in the United States by vessel, Importer Security Filing requirements become part of the shipment process. CBP states that the relevant ISF information is generally required no later than 24 hours before cargo is loaded onto the vessel destined for the United States. The required information includes fields such as seller, buyer, importer of record number, consignee, manufacturer/supplier, ship-to party, country of origin and HTSUS number. A late or inaccurate filing can create meaningful exposure; CBP states liquidated damages may reach US$5,000 per violation. That means your forwarder needs product and supplier data early. Not after sailing. 10. Create an Import Data Sheet for Every SKU Family For example: Import Field Example Product 110 mm hard fishing lure HTS 9507.90.70 Origin China Manufacturer Factory legal name Importer US importer of record Customs value Per invoice Base duty Verify current HTS Additional tariff Verify current Chapter 99/USTR Origin mark Made in China Shipment Ocean ISF Required where applicable This data sheet can then be reused across: commercial invoice; broker instructions; landed-cost calculator; purchase order; packaging artwork. 11. Understand MPF US formal entries are also generally subject to Merchandise Processing Fee. The rate remains 0.3464% of merchandise value, excluding duties, freight and insurance. For US fiscal year 2027, effective October 1, 2026 , the inflation-adjusted minimum is US$34.58 and the maximum is US$670.86. This is important because Cheery Supply Chain landed-cost content should now use FY2027 values, not the FY2026 minimum and maximum. 12. Ocean Freight May Also Carry HMF For qualifying ocean shipments, Harbor Maintenance Fee is another cost line. CBP states HMF is 0.125% of the value of commercial cargo moving through applicable ports and is not collected in the same way for air or mail shipments. Again, this is not normally the largest cost in a fishing-lure shipment. But landed cost is the sum of many individually small numbers. 13. Adult Fishing Tackle Is Different From Children's Products A fishing lure is not automatically a children's product simply because a teenager may fish with it. CPSC defines children's products around whether they are designed or intended primarily for children age 12 or younger. If the imported product is genuinely designed or marketed as a children's product, significantly different requirements can apply. For example, accessible components of children's products are generally limited to 100 ppm lead, and applicable children's-product requirements may require third-party testing and certification. Do not therefore copy an adult-fishing compliance file onto a children's fishing kit without reassessing the classification. 14. Hooks Create Safety Risk Even When No Special "Fishing Lure Certificate" Exists A conventional adult fishing lure does not become compliant simply because there is no dedicated federal "fishing lure certification." The importer still has product-safety responsibilities. Practical risk assessment should consider: exposed hooks; hook protectors; packaging; small detachable components; paint or coatings; metal composition; misuse risks; warning language where appropriate. Safety should be designed into the SKU rather than treated as a customs-only issue. 15. California Creates an Additional Compliance Layer Federal import clearance does not automatically answer every state-level sales requirement. California Proposition 65 is particularly relevant for tackle products containing lead or other listed chemicals. California OEHHA specifically identifies lead fishing sinkers as a consumer exposure source and has even published an interpretive guideline addressing hand-to-mouth lead exposure from handling fishing tackle. That does not mean every fishing lure automatically needs a Proposition 65 warning. It means brands selling products containing listed chemicals into California need to perform an exposure/compliance analysis rather than assuming federal customs clearance settles the issue. 16. Lead-Containing Jigs Need More Attention Than a Standard Plastic Lure This distinction is important for your product database. A conventional plastic soft lure and a lead-bodied metal jig may face very different chemical-exposure questions. For a lead-containing product sold in California, the brand should know: exact material; lead concentration; coating; intended handling; exposure route; warning decision. Do not let the factory write simply: "Metal: lead." Ask for a material declaration. 17. Commercial Invoice Data Needs to Match Reality A useful fishing-tackle commercial invoice should clearly identify: seller; buyer; product description; quantity; unit value; total value; currency; country of origin; Incoterm; and other data required for customs processing. Avoid descriptions such as: "samples" "plastic products" "accessories" when the actual shipment is thousands of commercial fishing lures. Product descriptions should allow the broker and customs authority to understand what was imported. 18. Do Not Undervalue the Shipment A factory may occasionally offer to declare a lower amount. That should not be treated as a normal cost-saving strategy. US customs valuation rules are based on statutory valuation methods, usually beginning with transaction value where applicable. Your purchasing invoice, payment records and customs declaration should tell a coherent story. Saving a small amount of duty is not worth creating a valuation problem. 19. Build a Pre-Shipment US Import Checklist Before the shipment leaves Asia, confirm: Item Status HTS classification Confirmed Country of origin Confirmed Base duty Checked Additional tariff Checked Origin marking Approved Commercial invoice Approved Packing list Approved ISF data Sent if ocean Product safety file Complete California analysis Completed if relevant Packaging warnings Approved Broker Appointed Landed-cost model Updated The time to discover a missing origin mark is before thousands of retail packs reach a US port. 20. Separate Customs Compliance From Product Compliance These are related but different questions. Customs Question Can the product enter the United States correctly? Product Question Can the product legally and safely be sold where the brand intends to sell it? A shipment can be accurately classified for customs while still having another product-compliance problem. That distinction should become part of every sourcing programme. Frequently Asked Questions What is the HTS code for artificial fishing lures in the USA? The current HTS lists artificial baits and flies under 9507.90.70.00. What is the normal US duty on artificial fishing lures? The current general rate under HTS 9507.90.70 is 9%. Additional duties or special treatment can apply depending on origin and current trade measures. Do fishing lures imported from China need "Made in China" marking? Foreign-origin products generally need compliant country-of-origin marking unless an applicable exception exists. The precise method depends on the article and packaging. Do I need ISF for fishing lures? If the merchandise is being imported by vessel and falls within the ISF requirements, the necessary filing information generally needs to be transmitted before loading at the foreign port. Are fishing lures children's products? Not automatically. CPSC focuses on whether a product is designed or intended primarily for children age 12 or younger. Do lead fishing products require California Proposition 65 attention? Potentially. OEHHA specifically recognizes lead exposure issues associated with fishing tackle. A product-specific analysis is required rather than assuming every lead product receives the same treatment. The Bottom Line Importing fishing lures into the United States is not simply: pay factory → ship carton → sell lure. A professional import programme connects: classification → origin → marking → duty → trade remedies → customs filing → safety → state compliance → landed cost. For artificial baits, HTS 9507.90.70 and its current 9% general rate provide a starting point. They do not finish the compliance analysis. The best time to confirm these fields is when the product specification is created. Because changing a spreadsheet before production costs almost nothing. Changing 10,000 printed retail packages after production does not. Related reading EU fishing lure import requirements Fishing lure supplier audit checklist Lead-free fishing tackle in the US