What Section 232 is
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (19 U.S.C. § 1862) lets the President adjust imports — through tariffs, quotas, or import agreements — when the Department of Commerce finds that the imports "threaten to impair the national security." Two active programs target the metals covered here: Steel (Proclamation 9705, 2018, modified by 11032) and Aluminum (Proclamation 9704, 2018, modified by 11032). Duties apply to the full customs value of the article, not just the metal content (since April 6, 2026). Proclamation 11032 also covers a separate Section 232 program on copper, not addressed on this page.
Key dates affecting Section 232 steel/aluminum treatment
| Date↕ | What happens↕ |
|---|---|
| May 8, 2025 | U.S.–U.K. Economic Prosperity Deal establishes UK's preferential rates |
| April 6, 2026 | Duties begin applying to full customs value, not just metal content |
| June 1, 2026 | Proclamation 11032 signed |
| June 8, 2026 | Proclamation 11032 takes effect — rates below reflect this version |
| July 24, 2026 | Postal shipments begin being assessed by HTS classification; melt/pour and smelt/cast data not yet supported for postal, so default rates apply |
| October 22, 2026 | Chapter 98/99-dutiable merchandise excluded from postal informal entry; must move through formal entry |
| December 31, 2027 | Annex I-C and Annex III reduced rates are scheduled to sunset |
What it means for shipments
Reduced/exempt rates are never automatic — they require the supporting origin data (melt-and-pour for steel, smelt-and-cast for aluminum) to be reported at entry. Formal entry supports this reporting, so eligible shipments can access the U.S.-content, country-specific, or de minimis rates below. Postal/international mail currently does not support these data elements, so covered postal shipments default to the standard (highest applicable) rate — and once a postal duty is assessed, there is no process to amend the entry or recover it. From October 22, 2026, Chapter 98/99-dutiable goods are excluded from postal informal entry entirely and must move through formal entry.
Current rates
| Category↕ | Rate↕ | What it covers↕ |
|---|---|---|
| Annex I-A — articles made "entirely or almost entirely" of steel or aluminum | 50% | Commodity metal forms: sheet, plate, bar, wire, tube, pipe, semis |
| Annex I-B — derivative articles substantially made of the covered metals | 25% | Downstream products in HTS Chapters 73, 76, and enumerated items elsewhere |
| Annex I-C — mobile industrial equipment (through Dec 31, 2027) | 25% general; 15% for listed partner countries (EU, Japan, South Korea, Argentina, Ecuador, Switzerland, Taiwan); 10% for U.S.-content | ~28 HTS codes in Chapters 84 and 87 (construction, mining, material-handling machinery) |
| Annex III — specified industrial and consumer equipment (through Dec 31, 2027) | 15% cap | Agricultural equipment, certain residential HVAC, other listed items |
| U.S.-content preference — melted-and-poured (steel) or smelted-and-cast (aluminum) in the U.S. | 10% | Derivative articles where covered metal is ≥85% U.S.-origin by weight (lowered from 95% by Proclamation 11032) |
| Low-metal-content articles — <15% covered metal by weight, classified outside HTS Chapters 72, 73, and 76 | No Section 232 duty | De minimis carve-out (MFN and other duties still apply; does not apply to goods classified inside Ch. 72/73/76) |
| Russia — aluminum | 200% | Any article/derivative containing primary aluminum smelted or cast in Russia; also the default when smelt/cast countries aren't reported at entry |
Steel
Covered products include flat-rolled steel, bars, rods, wire, pipe, tube, structural shapes, and semi-finished forms (ingots, billets, slabs). Enumerated derivatives include nails, wire cloth, cables, structural components, tanks, drums, and, added by Proclamation 11032, steel storage racks.
Importers must report the country of melt and pour (where the steel was originally melted in a steelmaking furnace and first cast into solid form). Steel melted and poured in the U.S. qualifies for the 10% rate; steel melted and poured in the U.K. qualifies for the U.K. preferential rate (below).
Aluminum
Covered products include unwrought aluminum, bars, rods, profiles, wire, plates, sheet, foil, tubes, and pipes. Enumerated derivatives include extrusions, cables and conductors, cans and containers, and, added by Proclamation 11032, aluminum lithographic plates.
Importers must report both the country of primary smelt (where alumina was reduced to primary aluminum) and the country of most recent cast. Aluminum smelted and cast in the U.S. qualifies for the 10% rate. Any article containing primary aluminum smelted or cast in Russia is subject to the 200% rate — this reaches down through the supply chain into derivatives.
Country arrangements
EU, Japan, South Korea, Argentina, Ecuador, Switzerland, and Taiwan all qualify for the Annex I-C 15% rate on mobile industrial equipment (see Current rates above) — rows below list only what's additional to that.
| Country↕ | Treatment↕ |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 25% (instead of 50%) on Annex I-A; 15% (instead of 25%) on Annex I-B, if melted-and-poured/smelted-and-cast in the U.K. Established under the U.S.–U.K. Economic Prosperity Deal. |
| European Union | Civil aircraft and parts exempt. Reduced tariff-rate quotas being negotiated. |
| Japan, South Korea | Civil aircraft exemptions. Standard Annex I-A/I-B rates otherwise. |
| Canada, Mexico (USMCA) | No preferential Section 232 rate. USMCA-qualifying derivative steel can have its U.S.-content portion (up to 40% of article value) enter at 0%, with the remainder at the standard rate. |
| Argentina, Ecuador, Switzerland, Taiwan | Annex I-C only — no additional treatment beyond that. |
| Russia | 200% on aluminum articles/derivatives containing Russian-smelted or cast primary aluminum. Russian-origin steel does not receive standard MFN rates (Column 2 applies) and is often blocked by separate sanctions — verify OFAC restrictions. |
Free trade agreements and stacking
Section 232 is a national security measure and overrides FTA tariff preferences — a steel/aluminum article that would enter duty-free under USMCA, KORUS, or any other FTA still owes the Section 232 duty, and Chapter 98 provisions don't relieve it unless the carve-out is written into the proclamation. (FTA-based TRQs, like the EU framework, are being renegotiated inside the Section 232 process itself.) USMCA compliance still matters for U.S.-content treatment on Canadian/Mexican derivative steel (see above).
Within Section 232, only one rate applies per article — autos/auto parts take priority over steel/aluminum, and an article covered by both metals is only charged once. Outside Section 232, Column 1 (MFN) duties, Section 301 duties, and AD/CVD all stack on top of it.
Sources
- CBP FAQ: Section 232 Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum
- CBP CSMS #68253075 — Section 232 Duties on Imports of Aluminum, Steel, and Copper (includes the covered-HTS reference list)
- CBP CSMS #69183472 — Updated Global Guidance for International Mail (July 6, 2026)
- Proclamation 11032 (June 1, 2026) — Federal Register
- Postal informal entry interim final rule (91 FR 37801, June 24, 2026) — Federal Register
- Section 232 Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum — CRS IN12519
Section 232 — steel and aluminum
Discover what Section 232 tariffs are, who they affect, and current rates.
This guide covers the U.S. Section 232 national security tariffs on steel and aluminum, as they apply today under Proclamation 11032 (effective June 8, 2026). It applies to any importer of steel, aluminum, or an enumerated derivative article, regardless of entry type — formal entry, informal entry, or postal/international mail — and regardless of trade preference, since FTA duty-free treatment does not exempt these goods (see "Free trade agreements" below).
Rates, product lists, and country arrangements continue to change. Always confirm current treatment against the applicable CBP CSMS message before shipping or filing.