Official data Source: US Census Bureau international trade data
Track this productWriting or drawing chalks, pastels, crayons, etc., not elsewhere specified
In short
- The US imported $70.8M of this product over the 12 months to August 2026, down 12% on the year before.
- China is the largest supplier, with 45.0% of US imports; Mexico is next, with 15.1%.
- Duty paid averaged 10.8% of the value of imports in August 2026, down 10.1 points on a year earlier.
- Philippines is gaining share: 3.0% over the last 12 months, up from 0.0%.
- US exports were $16.7M over the last 12 months; the largest market is Canada, with 36.8%.
US imports, Aug 2026
$5.6M
↑ +19% vs Aug 2025
Last 12 months
$70.8M
↓ −12% vs the 12 months before
Average duty paid
10.8%
↓ −10.1 pts vs Aug 2025
Top supplier
China
45.0% 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 | $4.7M |
| September 2025 | $4.6M |
| October 2025 | $4.7M |
| November 2025 | $4.3M |
| December 2025 | $5.5M |
| January 2026 | $6.0M |
| February 2026 | $6.2M |
| March 2026 | $7.8M |
| April 2026 | $6.9M |
| May 2026 | $7.1M |
| June 2026 | $6.4M |
| July 2026 | $5.7M |
| August 2026 | $5.6M |
What changed
- US imports were $5.6M in August 2026, down 1.4% from July 2026 and up 19% from August 2025.
- Over the 12 months to August 2026 they totalled $70.8M, down 12% on the 12 months before.
- Biggest moves in market share since July 2026: China down from 50.1% to 45.0%.
- Duty paid on imports from Philippines rose from 5.5% to 11.7% of their value since July 2026.
- Duty paid on imports from Thailand rose from 9.1% to 12.5% of their value since July 2026.
US trade by year
US imports were $70.8M in the 12 months to Aug 2026, down 29% on the 12 months to Aug 2017. US exports were $16.7M, down 13%. 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 | $99.1M |
| 12 months to Aug 2018 | $88.8M |
| 12 months to Aug 2019 | $82.5M |
| 12 months to Aug 2020 | $82.0M |
| 12 months to Aug 2021 | $101.7M |
| 12 months to Aug 2022 | $124.1M |
| 12 months to Aug 2023 | $86.6M |
| 12 months to Aug 2024 | $79.3M |
| 12 months to Aug 2025 | $80.4M |
| 12 months to Aug 2026 | $70.8M |
- China
- Mexico
- Indonesia
- Thailand
- All countries
Show the numbers
| Period | China | Mexico | Indonesia | Thailand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 months to Aug 2017 | 67.6% | 5.6% | 3.2% | 2.1% |
| 12 months to Aug 2018 | 72.9% | 6.2% | 3.1% | 2.5% |
| 12 months to Aug 2019 | 68.8% | 6.0% | 6.1% | 3.0% |
| 12 months to Aug 2020 | 60.9% | 7.0% | 5.0% | 3.5% |
| 12 months to Aug 2021 | 56.7% | 6.8% | 9.9% | 5.0% |
| 12 months to Aug 2022 | 60.3% | 7.6% | 11.5% | 3.7% |
| 12 months to Aug 2023 | 61.6% | 8.9% | 5.9% | 3.8% |
| 12 months to Aug 2024 | 65.2% | 10.1% | 4.2% | 3.5% |
| 12 months to Aug 2025 | 61.1% | 9.8% | 7.9% | 3.6% |
| 12 months to Aug 2026 | 50.5% | 9.8% | 7.4% | 6.2% |
Show the numbers
| Period | China | Mexico | Indonesia | Thailand | All countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 months to Aug 2017 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 12 months to Aug 2018 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 12 months to Aug 2019 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 12 months to Aug 2020 | 9.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 5.8% |
| 12 months to Aug 2021 | 6.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 3.9% |
| 12 months to Aug 2022 | 6.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 4.0% |
| 12 months to Aug 2023 | 6.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 4.1% |
| 12 months to Aug 2024 | 6.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 4.4% |
| 12 months to Aug 2025 | 16.1% | 0.0% | 1.8% | 4.2% | 10.5% |
| 12 months to Aug 2026 | 20.3% | 0.0% | 9.9% | 13.1% | 14.3% |
| Period | US imports | Duty paid | US exports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 months to Aug 2026 | $70.8M−12% | 14.3%+3.8 pts | $16.7M−22% |
| 12 months to Aug 2025 | $80.4M+1.3% | 10.5%+6.1 pts | $21.4M−11% |
| 12 months to Aug 2024 | $79.3M−8.4% | 4.4%+0.2 pts | $24.2M+11% |
| 12 months to Aug 2023 | $86.6M−30% | 4.1%+0.2 pts | $21.8M+4.3% |
| 12 months to Aug 2022 | $124.1M+22% | 4.0%+0.1 pts | $20.9M+1.5% |
| 12 months to Aug 2021 | $101.7M+24% | 3.9%−1.9 pts | $20.6M+3.8% |
| 12 months to Aug 2020 | $82.0M−0.6% | 5.8%+5.8 pts | $19.8M+5.0% |
| 12 months to Aug 2019 | $82.5M−7.1% | 0.0%0.0 pts | $18.9M−18% |
| 12 months to Aug 2018 | $88.8M−10% | 0.0%0.0 pts | $23.0M+20% |
| 12 months to Aug 2017 | $99.1M | 0.0% | $19.2M |
Who supplies the US
August 2026. Small figures under each value are the change from August 2025. Average prices aren't shown because this product's lines are counted in different units.
| Country | US imports | Share | Average price | Duty paid | Last 13 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | $2.5M | 45.0%−15.3 pts | n/a | 15.1%−15.9 pts | |
| Mexico | $844K | 15.1%+1.0 pts | n/a | 0.0%−0.4 pts | |
| Indonesia | $396K | 7.1%+1.1 pts | n/a | 10.0%−0.1 pts | |
| Philippines | $291K | 5.2%new | n/a | 11.7% | |
| Korea, South | $249K | 4.4%+2.8 pts | n/a | 10.9%+1.8 pts | |
| Thailand | $210K | 3.7%−1.9 pts | n/a | 12.5%+2.2 pts | |
| New Zealand | $205K | 3.7%+2.2 pts | n/a | 12.5%+2.5 pts | |
| Vietnam | $178K | 3.2%−1.5 pts | n/a | 10.1%+8.6 pts | |
| Other countries (16) | $713K | 12.7%+7.2 pts | n/a | 7.7%−1.4 pts | |
| All countries | $5.6M | 100.0% | n/a | 10.8%−10.1 pts |
The 3 largest suppliers had 67.6% of US imports over the last 12 months.
How the market is shifting
Philippines gained the most share: 3.0% of US imports over the last 12 months, up from 0.0% in the 12 months before. China lost the most: 50.5%, down from 61.1%. 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.
- China
- Mexico
- Indonesia
- Thailand
- All countries
Show the numbers
| Month | China | Mexico | Indonesia | Thailand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2024 | 56.7% | 9.4% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
| October 2024 | 60.8% | 10.5% | 2.8% | 4.9% |
| November 2024 | 64.1% | 5.2% | 4.9% | 2.5% |
| December 2024 | 71.1% | 9.0% | 6.8% | 1.1% |
| January 2025 | 71.9% | 4.3% | 11.0% | 0.8% |
| February 2025 | 65.3% | 14.4% | 8.3% | 1.1% |
| March 2025 | 52.2% | 11.4% | 17.7% | 2.9% |
| April 2025 | 52.7% | 10.3% | 8.7% | 8.5% |
| May 2025 | 51.7% | 9.6% | 3.9% | 7.8% |
| June 2025 | 61.4% | 6.3% | 6.4% | 2.6% |
| July 2025 | 51.8% | 15.1% | 6.5% | 6.5% |
| August 2025 | 60.3% | 14.0% | 6.0% | 5.7% |
| September 2025 | 46.3% | 12.4% | 3.2% | 5.0% |
| October 2025 | 59.1% | 5.9% | 7.0% | 6.2% |
| November 2025 | 56.5% | 7.8% | 0.7% | 6.4% |
| December 2025 | 71.8% | 2.6% | 3.0% | 3.4% |
| January 2026 | 62.3% | 7.5% | 5.9% | 7.3% |
| February 2026 | 72.1% | 1.3% | 8.0% | 5.7% |
| March 2026 | 38.1% | 13.0% | 14.3% | 5.8% |
| April 2026 | 39.0% | 8.2% | 14.5% | 8.5% |
| May 2026 | 45.3% | 10.6% | 6.1% | 10.8% |
| June 2026 | 31.7% | 16.8% | 4.5% | 7.2% |
| July 2026 | 50.1% | 14.2% | 8.0% | 2.4% |
| August 2026 | 45.0% | 15.1% | 7.1% | 3.7% |
Show the numbers
| Month | China | Mexico | Indonesia | Thailand | All countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2024 | 5.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 3.2% |
| October 2024 | 6.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 3.8% |
| November 2024 | 6.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 4.0% |
| December 2024 | 6.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 4.7% |
| January 2025 | 6.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 4.9% |
| February 2025 | 7.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 4.8% |
| March 2025 | 20.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 10.5% |
| April 2025 | 26.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2.3% | 14.2% |
| May 2025 | 45.8% | 0.0% | 1.9% | 7.9% | 26.3% |
| June 2025 | 33.9% | 0.0% | 10.0% | 10.0% | 23.3% |
| July 2025 | 32.8% | 0.0% | 10.0% | 9.2% | 19.4% |
| August 2025 | 31.0% | 0.4% | 10.1% | 10.3% | 20.9% |
| September 2025 | 30.9% | 0.0% | 9.0% | 17.2% | 19.5% |
| October 2025 | 26.6% | 0.0% | 14.7% | 19.0% | 20.1% |
| November 2025 | 22.1% | 0.3% | 19.0% | 18.2% | 17.4% |
| December 2025 | 24.6% | 0.0% | 19.0% | 19.0% | 21.8% |
| January 2026 | 23.5% | 0.0% | 19.0% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
| February 2026 | 21.0% | 0.0% | 14.3% | 13.4% | 18.6% |
| March 2026 | 16.3% | 0.0% | 5.5% | 10.0% | 9.9% |
| April 2026 | 15.4% | 0.0% | 8.3% | 10.0% | 10.5% |
| May 2026 | 15.6% | 0.0% | 6.0% | 10.0% | 10.9% |
| June 2026 | 15.1% | 0.0% | 10.0% | 9.8% | 9.3% |
| July 2026 | 15.5% | 0.0% | 8.3% | 9.1% | 10.7% |
| August 2026 | 15.1% | 0.0% | 10.0% | 12.5% | 10.8% |
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–April 2026 · Duty paid: China 22.2% → 15.4%, Indonesia 19.0% → 7.2%, all countries 19.5% → 10.7%.
- November 2025 · Duty paid: China 31.0% → 22.8%.
- April–June 2025 · Duty paid: China 7.0% → 33.3%, Indonesia 0.0% → 10.0%, all countries 4.6% → 21.4%.
- March 2020 · Duty paid: China 12.9% → 6.8%.
- October 2019 · Duty paid: China 0.0% → 12.9%, all countries 0.1% → 7.9%.
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 $1.3M in August 2026, down 2.7% from August 2025, and $16.7M over the last 12 months, down 22% on the 12 months before. Fastest-growing market with 3% or more of US exports: China, up 45%.
| Market | Last 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $6.1M | 36.8% | −20% |
| Philippines | $1.9M | 11.6% | −47% |
| China | $1.3M | 8.0% | +45% |
| United Kingdom | $862K | 5.2% | −45% |
| France | $844K | 5.0% | +24% |
| Vietnam | $702K | 4.2% | −22% |
| Netherlands | $623K | 3.7% | −17% |
| Australia | $564K | 3.4% | −13% |
| Other countries (55) | $3.7M | 22.1% | −18% |
| All countries | $16.7M | 100.0% | −22% |
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; 124 have reported 2025 so far.
| Market | Imports | vs year before | From the US | US share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | $23.1Min 2025 | +18% | $405K | 1.8% |
| France | $14.7Min 2025 | −2.5% | $838K | 5.7% |
| Canada | $12.9Min 2025 | +11% | $5.6M | 43.5% |
| Indonesia | $11.5Min 2025 | −1.9% | $40K | 0.3% |
| United Kingdom | $11.3Min 2025 | +0.5% | $1.0M | 9.3% |
| Netherlands | $10.7Min 2025 | +8.1% | $912K | 8.5% |
| India | $8.5Min 2025 | −0.9% | $48K | 0.6% |
| Mexico | $8.3Min 2025 | +18% | $902K | 10.8% |
The biggest market outside the US is Germany, which imported $23.1M of this product in 2025, 1.8% of that from the US.
The US supplies 43.5% of imports into Canada, but under 10% into Germany, France and Indonesia.
Of these, imports into Germany grew fastest: up 18% from 2024 to 2025.
Related products
Other products under heading 9609: pencils (with encased lead) not elsewhere specified, crayons, pencil leads, pastels, drawing charcoals, writing or drawing chalks and tailors' chalks. US trade over the 12 months to August 2026.
| Product | US imports | US exports |
|---|---|---|
| Pencils and crayons, with leads encased in a sheathHS 9609.10 | $189.4M | $23.5M |
| Pencil leads, black or coloredHS 9609.20 | $6.8M | $1.5M |
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, 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.
- 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.