Trade and legal rules
Chicken Tax
The chicken tax is a 25% U.S. duty on many imported trucks. It dates to 1964 and is separate from later tariffs.
Data as of October 2, 2026
This page is factual and informational only. It is not legal advice.
In December 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Proclamation 3564. It raised duties on a short list of goods. One line was automobile trucks valued at $1,000 or more. The rate was 25% ad valorem. The proclamation made that rate effective for articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on and after 7 January 1964. The other goods on that list later lost the extra duty. The truck rate remained. People call the truck rate the chicken tax because the proclamation answered European restrictions on U.S. poultry. [1] [2]
Today, U.S. Customs and Border Protection assesses duty from the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. Heading 8704 covers motor vehicles for the transport of goods. Many lines under that heading list a 25% general rate. The rate for a specific vehicle is the rate for its subheading, not a nickname. A passenger vehicle is often classified in heading 8703 instead. This page does not classify any catalog vehicle. [3] [4]
What this page does not add up
Later trade actions can add a separate duty. Section 301 duties and Section 232 duties are examples. Whether they apply, and whether they stack with the column 1 rate, depends on the classification and the chapter 99 note in force for that entry. Catalog notes sometimes print a single combined percentage. This page does not check or add those figures. [4] [3]
A free-trade agreement can change the duty for a truck that meets the agreement's origin rules. This page does not list those agreements or say which trucks qualify. [4]
Sources
- [1] Proclamation 3564 — Increasing Rates of Duty on Specified Articles — The American Presidency Project (text of the proclamation)
- [2] 77 Stat. 1035, Proclamation 3564 — GovInfo
- [3] Harmonized Tariff Schedule search for heading 8704 — U.S. International Trade Commission
- [4] Determining Duty Rates — U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Cars affected
Published catalog cars whose public notes, description, specs, name, or stated country match this term. A match is not a legal conclusion about that car.
- BYD Shark 62025
China - Fiat Strada
BR - Isuzu D-Max2025
Thailand - Mitsubishi Triton2025Thailand
- Toyota HiLux2026
Japan - Volkswagen Amarok2026
Germany