Official data Source: US Census Bureau international trade data
Track this productRefills for ball point pens, comprising the ball point and ink reservoir
In short
- The US imported $8.1M of this product over the 12 months to August 2026, down 28% on the year before.
- Japan is the largest supplier, with 41.6% of US imports; India is next, with 20.2%.
- India is the cheapest main supplier before and after freight and duty, landing at $0.03 each.
- Duty paid averaged 15.5% of the value of imports in August 2026, up 1.2 points on a year earlier.
- Japan is gaining share: 35.4% over the last 12 months, up from 25.2%.
- US exports were $3.9M over the last 12 months; the largest market is China, with 68.5%.
US imports, Aug 2026
$686K
↓ −21% vs Aug 2025
Last 12 months
$8.1M
↓ −28% vs the 12 months before
Average duty paid
15.5%
↑ +1.2 pts vs Aug 2025
Top supplier
Japan
41.6% of US imports
US imports by month
The last 13 months, so the same month a year ago is on the left. August 2026 is highlighted. Dotted lines mark lasting changes in duty paid, labelled with the supplier, or "Duty" when several moved; the tariff timeline lists each one with its notices.
Show the numbers
| Month | US imports |
|---|---|
| August 2025 | $872K |
| September 2025 | $821K |
| October 2025 | $667K |
| November 2025 | $695K |
| December 2025 | $504K |
| January 2026 | $594K |
| February 2026 | $421K |
| March 2026 | $770K |
| April 2026 | $541K |
| May 2026 | $841K |
| June 2026 | $889K |
| July 2026 | $650K |
| August 2026 | $686K |
What changed
- US imports were $686K in August 2026, up 5.5% from July 2026 and down 21% from August 2025.
- Over the 12 months to August 2026 they totalled $8.1M, down 28% on the 12 months before.
- Biggest moves in market share since July 2026: India up from 3.5% to 20.2%, China down from 19.1% to 3.4%.
- Average price from Mexico rose 81% since July 2026, to $0.05 each.
- Duty paid on imports from India rose from 18.5% to 31.9% of their value since July 2026.
- Duty paid on imports from Germany fell from 12.1% to 6.4% of their value since July 2026.
US trade by year
US imports were $8.1M in the 12 months to Aug 2026, down 44% on the 12 months to Aug 2017. US exports were $3.9M, up 36%. Dotted lines mark lasting changes in duty paid, labelled with the supplier, or "Duty" when several moved; the tariff timeline lists each one with its notices.
Show the numbers
| Period | US imports |
|---|---|
| 12 months to Aug 2017 | $14.5M |
| 12 months to Aug 2018 | $14.0M |
| 12 months to Aug 2019 | $14.2M |
| 12 months to Aug 2020 | $12.7M |
| 12 months to Aug 2021 | $11.3M |
| 12 months to Aug 2022 | $13.7M |
| 12 months to Aug 2023 | $11.7M |
| 12 months to Aug 2024 | $11.2M |
| 12 months to Aug 2025 | $11.3M |
| 12 months to Aug 2026 | $8.1M |
- Japan
- India
- Mexico
- Germany
- All countries
Show the numbers
| Period | Japan | India | Mexico | Germany |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 months to Aug 2017 | 32.0% | 0.2% | 29.4% | 11.6% |
| 12 months to Aug 2018 | 30.7% | 3.6% | 32.2% | 11.2% |
| 12 months to Aug 2019 | 31.3% | 7.1% | 32.7% | 10.2% |
| 12 months to Aug 2020 | 28.5% | 23.7% | 26.4% | 6.6% |
| 12 months to Aug 2021 | 35.9% | 19.2% | 20.4% | 8.5% |
| 12 months to Aug 2022 | 31.8% | 16.4% | 28.0% | 8.7% |
| 12 months to Aug 2023 | 32.0% | 12.3% | 28.5% | 6.6% |
| 12 months to Aug 2024 | 31.4% | 14.5% | 31.3% | 9.3% |
| 12 months to Aug 2025 | 25.2% | 15.1% | 36.2% | 9.5% |
| 12 months to Aug 2026 | 35.4% | 20.9% | 17.0% | 11.5% |
Show the numbers
| Period | Japan | India | Mexico | Germany | All countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 months to Aug 2017 | 5.3% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 3.1% | 3.2% |
| 12 months to Aug 2018 | 5.2% | 11.7% | 0.4% | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| 12 months to Aug 2019 | 5.2% | 5.8% | 0.6% | 3.1% | 3.3% |
| 12 months to Aug 2020 | 5.2% | 14.9% | 0.5% | 3.1% | 7.0% |
| 12 months to Aug 2021 | 4.6% | 15.9% | 0.9% | 3.2% | 6.7% |
| 12 months to Aug 2022 | 4.9% | 15.1% | 1.8% | 3.3% | 6.4% |
| 12 months to Aug 2023 | 4.9% | 16.5% | 0.8% | 3.3% | 5.3% |
| 12 months to Aug 2024 | 5.0% | 20.2% | 1.1% | 3.3% | 6.1% |
| 12 months to Aug 2025 | 9.0% | 21.4% | 18.7% | 7.2% | 14.7% |
| 12 months to Aug 2026 | 13.7% | 44.8% | 13.5% | 11.7% | 20.8% |
| Period | US imports | Duty paid | US exports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 months to Aug 2026 | $8.1M−28% | 20.8%+6.1 pts | $3.9M+117% |
| 12 months to Aug 2025 | $11.3M+0.7% | 14.7%+8.6 pts | $1.8M+31% |
| 12 months to Aug 2024 | $11.2M−4.5% | 6.1%+0.8 pts | $1.4M−16% |
| 12 months to Aug 2023 | $11.7M−14% | 5.3%−1.1 pts | $1.6M−28% |
| 12 months to Aug 2022 | $13.7M+22% | 6.4%−0.3 pts | $2.3M+29% |
| 12 months to Aug 2021 | $11.3M−11% | 6.7%−0.3 pts | $1.7M+17% |
| 12 months to Aug 2020 | $12.7M−11% | 7.0%+3.7 pts | $1.5M−35% |
| 12 months to Aug 2019 | $14.2M+1.6% | 3.3%−0.1 pts | $2.3M−17% |
| 12 months to Aug 2018 | $14.0M−3.3% | 3.4%+0.1 pts | $2.8M−3.8% |
| 12 months to Aug 2017 | $14.5M | 3.2% | $2.9M |
Who supplies the US
August 2026. Small figures under each value are the change from August 2025. Landed cost by origin, below, adds freight and duty to the price.
| Country | US imports | Share | Average price | Duty paid | Last 13 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | $286K | 41.6%+4.6 pts | $0.29 each+32% | 12.4%−0.9 pts | |
| India | $139K | 20.2%+6.5 pts | $0.02 each−19% | 31.9%−4.6 pts | |
| Mexico | $89K | 13.0%−11.4 pts | $0.05 each+89% | 9.5%+0.6 pts | |
| Germany | $82K | 11.9%−2.0 pts | $0.68 each−29% | 6.4%−3.3 pts | |
| Malaysia | $28K | 4.1%new | $71.16 each | 12.7% | |
| China | $23K | 3.4%+2.4 pts | $0.77 each−5.9% | 22.1%−18.7 pts | |
| France | $22K | 3.2%−4.9 pts | $1.08 each+267% | 10.0%+8.1 pts | |
| Taiwan | $15K | 2.2%new | $6.18 each | 10.0% | |
| Switzerland | $2K | 0.3%new | $2,360 each | 12.7% | |
| All countries | $686K | 100.0% | $0.07 each+21% | 15.5%+1.2 pts |
The 3 largest suppliers had 73.3% of US imports over the last 12 months.
Landed cost by origin
What importers paid to land this product at a US port from each main supplier, June–August 2026: the price, freight and insurance to the first US port, and duty, per unit. Suppliers with 3% or more of these imports, cheapest landed first. Small figures under landed cost are the change from the same months a year earlier.
- Price
- Freight and insurance
- Duty
| Country | Price | Freight and insurance | Duty | Landed cost | Make-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | $0.02 each | $0.00 each1.8% of price | $0.01 each29.9% of price | $0.03 each−19% | |
| Mexico | $0.06 each | $0.00 each0.1% of price | $0.01 each10.2% of price | $0.07 each+113% | |
| China | $0.11 each | $0.01 each6.3% of price | $0.03 each24.1% of price | $0.15 each+29% | |
| Japan | $0.27 each | $0.01 each2.6% of price | $0.04 each13.6% of price | $0.32 each+37% | |
| Germany | $1.02 each | $0.04 each3.8% of price | $0.11 each10.3% of price | $1.17 each+63% | |
| France | $1.18 each | $0.03 each2.9% of price | $0.14 each12.3% of price | $1.36 each+194% | |
| All countries | $0.07 each | $0.00 each2.4% of price | $0.01 each17.3% of price | $0.08 each+41% |
Landed at a US port, India was cheapest, at $0.03 each: 56.3% below Mexico.
Landed cost from France rose 194% on a year earlier, to $1.36 each, mostly on price: $0.42 each then, $1.18 each now.
How the market is shifting
Japan gained the most share: 35.4% of US imports over the last 12 months, up from 25.2% in the 12 months before. Mexico lost the most: 17.0%, down from 36.2%. The charts show September 2024 to August 2026 for the 4 largest suppliers over the last 12 months. Dotted lines mark lasting changes in duty paid, labelled with the supplier, or "Duty" when several moved; the tariff timeline lists each one with its notices.
- Japan
- India
- Mexico
- Germany
- All countries
Show the numbers
| Month | Japan | India | Mexico | Germany |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2024 | 18.8% | 11.7% | 41.3% | 8.7% |
| October 2024 | 22.6% | 16.3% | 33.4% | 8.3% |
| November 2024 | 29.8% | 8.8% | 40.8% | 5.6% |
| December 2024 | 14.1% | 29.2% | 26.1% | 14.3% |
| January 2025 | 37.1% | 9.8% | 23.0% | 12.8% |
| February 2025 | 17.7% | 41.1% | 18.5% | 5.0% |
| March 2025 | 25.2% | 7.7% | 50.0% | 6.3% |
| April 2025 | 25.8% | 12.1% | 36.8% | 15.9% |
| May 2025 | 36.0% | 6.9% | 39.4% | 5.4% |
| June 2025 | 14.0% | 12.3% | 49.7% | 10.2% |
| July 2025 | 29.6% | 15.8% | 36.8% | 8.1% |
| August 2025 | 37.0% | 13.8% | 24.5% | 13.9% |
| September 2025 | 34.0% | 21.5% | 23.5% | 8.6% |
| October 2025 | 32.9% | 17.4% | 21.1% | 10.7% |
| November 2025 | 32.1% | 24.9% | 21.2% | 10.3% |
| December 2025 | 42.4% | 20.5% | 3.8% | 10.0% |
| January 2026 | 41.8% | 27.3% | 0.0% | 19.2% |
| February 2026 | 42.0% | 7.0% | 14.3% | 18.5% |
| March 2026 | 22.1% | 17.9% | 26.3% | 18.1% |
| April 2026 | 40.4% | 27.6% | 9.7% | 6.4% |
| May 2026 | 39.1% | 12.6% | 25.8% | 9.5% |
| June 2026 | 22.2% | 41.6% | 20.4% | 7.1% |
| July 2026 | 46.6% | 3.5% | 10.3% | 11.9% |
| August 2026 | 41.6% | 20.2% | 13.0% | 11.9% |
Show the numbers
| Month | Japan | India | Mexico | Germany | All countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2024 | 4.1% | 21.4% | 1.8% | 3.7% | 5.2% |
| October 2024 | 4.8% | 16.4% | 1.6% | 3.0% | 5.6% |
| November 2024 | 4.7% | 17.4% | 1.2% | 3.2% | 4.5% |
| December 2024 | 5.2% | 18.7% | 1.0% | 3.5% | 7.8% |
| January 2025 | 4.1% | 17.7% | 9.8% | 3.3% | 7.3% |
| February 2025 | 4.2% | 16.1% | 21.0% | 3.2% | 12.3% |
| March 2025 | 4.7% | 17.6% | 30.6% | 3.0% | 19.3% |
| April 2025 | 6.5% | 21.8% | 35.7% | 7.7% | 20.7% |
| May 2025 | 14.5% | 24.2% | 44.7% | 13.0% | 29.2% |
| June 2025 | 15.6% | 29.0% | 29.3% | 12.5% | 25.0% |
| July 2025 | 14.4% | 23.9% | 9.1% | 13.0% | 14.6% |
| August 2025 | 13.3% | 36.5% | 8.9% | 9.6% | 14.2% |
| September 2025 | 16.8% | 51.7% | 19.2% | 14.5% | 25.9% |
| October 2025 | 14.4% | 69.2% | 24.3% | 11.0% | 26.4% |
| November 2025 | 15.0% | 67.7% | 9.6% | 15.0% | 28.2% |
| December 2025 | 15.0% | 69.2% | 12.9% | 11.9% | 25.5% |
| January 2026 | 14.8% | 68.2% | n/a | 6.8% | 28.5% |
| February 2026 | 8.2% | 45.0% | 7.9% | 13.1% | 15.1% |
| March 2026 | 9.7% | 31.2% | 13.0% | 13.4% | 16.4% |
| April 2026 | 14.2% | 27.6% | 12.0% | 13.3% | 17.9% |
| May 2026 | 13.4% | 27.0% | 11.7% | 13.0% | 15.2% |
| June 2026 | 14.3% | 29.8% | 12.1% | 13.1% | 20.3% |
| July 2026 | 14.2% | 18.5% | 6.1% | 12.1% | 15.3% |
| August 2026 | 12.4% | 31.9% | 9.5% | 6.4% | 15.5% |
Tariff actions touching this product
When the duty paid on this product changed and stayed changed, for its main suppliers and all countries, newest first, with the Federal Register notices that named the product in the 3 months before. Rates are medians of the 4 months either side, less any usual seasonal swing. A change shows what happened to duty paid, not why; read each notice for what it did.
- February 2026 · Duty paid: India 68.7% → 27.6%, all countries 27.3% → 15.9%.
- February–September 2025 · Duty paid: Japan 4.7% → 14.4%, India 29.0% → 68.4%, Mexico 1.4% → 13.9%, all countries 7.6% → 26.0%.
Where it enters the US
Main ports of entry over the 12 months to August 2026: US imports and share.
Where US exports go
US exports were $427K in August 2026, up 224% from August 2025, and $3.9M over the last 12 months, up 117% on the 12 months before. Fastest-growing market with 3% or more of US exports: China, up 10086%.
| Market | Last 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | $2.7M | 68.5% | +10086% |
| Canada | $514K | 13.2% | −15% |
| Mexico | $281K | 7.2% | −36% |
| Switzerland | $109K | 2.8% | +10% |
| United Kingdom | $62K | 1.6% | −40% |
| Panama | $49K | 1.3% | +224% |
| Germany | $34K | 0.9% | new |
| Netherlands | $29K | 0.8% | −8.1% |
| Other countries (18) | $148K | 3.8% | −40% |
| All countries | $3.9M | 100.0% | +117% |
Markets abroad
Each country's own import figures for this product, from UN Comtrade: the 8 biggest importers outside the US in the latest year each has reported, what they bought from the US, and the change from the year before. Values usually include freight and insurance to the importer's border, so they run a little above US export figures. Countries report a year or more late; 120 have reported 2025 so far.
| Market | Imports | vs year before | From the US | US share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | $24.7Min 2025 | +40% | $65K | 0.3% |
| China | $24.7Min 2025 | +10% | $555K | 2.3% |
| Germany | $15.0Min 2025 | +2.5% | $19K | 0.1% |
| Taiwan | $7.6Min 2024 | −9.0% | $3K | 0.0% |
| Italy | $7.0Min 2025 | −15% | $34K | 0.5% |
| Korea, South | $6.1Min 2025 | −6.8% | $7K | 0.1% |
| Mexico | $5.3Min 2025 | +21% | $397K | 7.5% |
| India | $4.9Min 2025 | +21% | $27K | 0.6% |
The biggest market outside the US is France, which imported $24.7M of this product in 2025, 0.3% of that from the US.
Of these, imports into France grew fastest: up 40% from 2024 to 2025.
Related products
Other products under heading 9608: ball point pens; soft tipped pens and markers; fountain pens and other pens; duplicating stylos; mechanical pencils; pen-holders etc.; parts thereof. US trade over the 12 months to August 2026.
| Product | US imports | US exports |
|---|---|---|
| Felt tipped and other porous-tipped pens and markersHS 9608.20 | $397.6M | $180.9M |
| Ball point pensHS 9608.10 | $414.7M | $96.3M |
| Propelling or sliding pencils (for example, mechanical pencils)HS 9608.40 | $85.9M | $9.2M |
| Parts of pens and mechanical pencils (other than leads), not elsewhere specifiedHS 9608.99 | $39.4M | $20.9M |
| Fountain pens, stylograph pens and other pensHS 9608.30 | $40.7M | $6.3M |
| Pen nibs and nib pointsHS 9608.91 | $16.1M | $2.5M |
| Sets of articles of two or more pens (ball point, fountain, etc.) or/and mechanical pencils (propelling or sliding)HS 9608.50 | $719K | $610K |
About these figures
- Source: US Census Bureau international trade data, not seasonally adjusted, in US dollars. Retrieved November 3, 2026.
- US imports are general imports at customs value, which excludes freight and insurance. Exports are at free-alongside-ship value.
- Average price is customs value divided by quantity (number of items), across all of the product's 10-digit lines.
- Duty paid is the duty Census calculates on each country's imports for consumption, as a share of their value. It moves with tariff changes, exemptions and the mix of goods within the product.
- Landed cost adds Census's import charges (freight, insurance and other costs of bringing the goods to the first US port) and calculated duty to the customs value, per unit, across the product's 10-digit lines. It leaves out antidumping and countervailing duties, customs fees and transport inland. Prices are averages across the goods within the code, so a lower one can mean cheaper goods, not the same goods for less.
- Markets abroad are each country's imports as it reports them to UN Comtrade, in US dollars, usually including freight and insurance. Countries report a year or more late and in their own edition of the HS codes, so one still on an older edition is missing for codes that changed in 2022.
- Census revises recent months, so figures can change slightly. These are estimates for research and planning, not customs or legal advice.