Reporting and analysis · October 27, 2026
Key findings
- The selected five-country total fell 11.2% in 2025, from $982.2 million to $872.6 million. [hts1]
- Mexico increased 30.7%. China declined 24.2%. [hts1]
- Canada and Mexico supplied 51.4% of this basket in 2025. [hts1]
- Scope: six cylinder and cylinder-parts reporting lines. These figures cover the five countries shown below; they do not measure total U.S. imports or domestic market share. [hts1]
Where the imports came from
Commerce published this Census-sourced series for 2023–2025. The changes are calculated from unrounded values. A shift in value can reflect demand, price, product mix or a change in suppliers. This table does not establish which explanation drove the movement. [hts1]
USD millions. Bars run top to bottom: 2023, 2024, 2025. Every group uses the same zero-based scale, 0–325 million.
Canada — 2023: 295.9 · 2024: 283.4 · 2025: 263.0
China — 2023: 250.4 · 2024: 242.2 · 2025: 183.6
India — 2023: 68.6 · 2024: 95.7 · 2025: 92.6
South Korea — 2023: 203.5 · 2024: 218.8 · 2025: 147.7
Mexico — 2023: 165.1 · 2024: 142.1 · 2025: 185.7
Selected five origins and six HTS10 reporting lines; annual values. Source: Commerce, using Census data accessed through Trade Data Monitor. These are not worldwide import totals. [hts1]
| Origin | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 295.9 | 283.4 | 263.0 |
| China | 250.4 | 242.2 | 183.6 |
| India | 68.6 | 95.7 | 92.6 |
| South Korea | 203.5 | 218.8 | 147.7 |
| Mexico | 165.1 | 142.1 | 185.7 |
| Five-country total | 983.6 | 982.2 | 872.6 |
Six lines: 8412.21.0015, .0030, .0045, .0060, .0075, and 8412.90.9005. Source: Commerce; Census via Trade Data Monitor. Rounded displays; changes calculated from unrounded values. [hts1]
Follow the component
The industrial question is which capability sits behind the imported part: tube, rod, machining, welding, seals, finishing or testing. That is where a useful domestic-supply analysis starts.
- Identify repeat demand and the specifications buyers accept.
- Check available domestic capability, qualification time and delivery performance.
- Test the economics against existing international supply, including specialist processes and low-volume requirements.
Use the right level of detail
Six-digit codes support international comparisons. U.S. ten-digit reporting separates narrower product groups. [hts3]
Keep cylinder types, motor designs, pump technologies and hydraulic valve branches separate. One broad code can cover several markets. [hts2]
| Component | Verified HTS10 examples | Analytical consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Hydraulic cylinders | 8412.21.0015 tie-rod; .0030 weld-fused; under Other: .0045 telescoping, .0060 rodless, .0075 other | Keep construction types visible. |
| Unlimited-rotation hydraulic motors | 8412.29.8015 gear; .8030 radial piston; .8045 axial piston; .8060 other | Do not call the entire 8412.29 family an orbital-motor market. |
| Rotary hydraulic power pumps | 8413.60.0020 vane; .0030 gear; .0040 other | 8413.60 also contains other rotary pumps. |
| Hydraulic valves | 8481.20.0010/.0020/.0030 directional control; .0040 flow control; .0050 other | Separate the hydraulic branches before making hydraulic-only claims. |
Descriptions abbreviated from the official HTS. Preserve the full hierarchy and review relevant notes for a product-specific determination. [hts2]
Keep the comparisons consistent
- Import basis: general imports count physical arrivals; consumption imports count entry into U.S. consumption channels. Use the same measure throughout. [hts5]
- Value: customs value excludes duties and international freight and insurance. It differs from delivered cost. [hts4]
- Origin: the recorded manufacturing origin and a supplier’s headquarters can differ. [hts4]
- Quantity: keep piece counts and weight separate. Average unit value also changes with product mix. [hts3]
- Time: compare 2026 year-to-date with matching months. Check code changes across years; USITC announced Revision 21 on October 9, 2026. [hts4] [hts9]
- Market size: imports alone cannot establish domestic demand or import penetration. Compatible production, export and inventory evidence is needed.
The regulatory connection
The cylinder case’s written scope controls coverage, including specified parts and certain attached cylinders and third-country processing. HTS references alone do not decide coverage. [hts6]
The USITC’s September 30, 2026 decision was a preliminary reasonable-indication injury determination. It allowed the investigations to continue; it was not a final dumping finding or an assessed duty. [hts7]
Data limits
Commerce’s table does not identify general versus consumption imports or the valuation field. Reconcile those before combining datasets. Global totals, domestic market size and 2026 year-to-date values remain unverified.
Turn a change in origin into a research question
The movement between China and Mexico in this selected basket is a starting point for investigation. It does not show that a particular factory moved, that an American buyer switched suppliers or that domestic production gained the business. Those are separate propositions requiring product and operating evidence.
A useful follow-up would isolate the same reporting lines and periods, then ask whether the change is concentrated in particular cylinder constructions or parts. Buyer interviews and supplier records could help distinguish a change in sourcing from a different mix of products. Until that evidence is available, the explanation should remain open.
For a domestic manufacturing proposal, the next question is narrower still: which recurring requirement could the proposed operation meet? A national import total can motivate the question, but an accepted drawing, production plan and customer qualification define the opportunity.
Continue reading
- The Hydraulics Industry
- The Hydraulic Cylinder Trade Case and the Supply Chain Behind It
- Equipment Leaderboard: Large Foundation Drilling Rigs
Sources
- Commerce: Initiation of AD/CVD investigations of certain linear hydraulic cylinders and parts; published 2023–2025 import table [hts1]
- USITC: Harmonized Tariff Schedule, Chapter 84 entries [hts2]
- USITC: Tariff classification and HTS frequently asked questions [hts3]
- Census: International Trade Definitions [hts4]
- USITC: Trade Measure Definitions [hts5]
- Commerce: September 2026 cylinder AD initiation and written scope, FR Doc 2026-18706 [hts6]
- USITC: September 30, 2026 preliminary cylinder injury determination [hts7]
- USITC: Harmonized Tariff Information / revision announcement [hts9]
Sources checked October 27, 2026. Dated figures and procedural status refer to the periods stated in the article.