DOCS

FTA and Section 232

Answer free trade agreement and Section 232 questions once per catalog item—every future U.S. shipment uses your answers.

Some U.S. duties depend on facts Zonos can't see from an item's description, such as whether it qualifies under a free trade agreement (FTA) or what it's made of for Section 232. When one of these applies to an item in your catalog, Zonos adds a questionnaire to the item's Requirements tab, the same way it does for PGA checks. Confirm it once, and the answers follow the item onto every future U.S. shipment.

U.S. inbound postal shipments only: FTA and Section 232 questions apply to postal shipments destined for the United States.

How items are flagged 

Zonos checks each catalog item's HS code and country of origin against the U.S. duties in effect. An item is flagged only when an answer could change its duty. If nothing depends on an answer, you won't be asked.

Items without an HS code or country of origin can't be matched, so keep both accurate in your sales channel or CSV import.

Flagged items show the same Needs attention indicators as PGA checks—in your catalog list, on the item's Requirements tab, and on postal shipment lines.

Free trade agreements 

Zonos asks about these agreements for goods originating in a partner country:

Agreement↕Goods originating in↕Must also ship from↕
USMCACanada or MexicoCanada or Mexico
KORUSSouth KoreaSouth Korea
AUSFTAAustraliaAny country

Each agreement's questionnaire asks you to:

  1. Certify that the goods qualify as originating under the agreement, or answer No.
  2. If you certify, enter the name, email, and phone number of the person certifying—the exporter, producer, or importer, or someone authorized to certify for them.
  3. Optionally, attach the certificate of origin. It's recommended but not required—your certification stands on its own.

Certifying means you can prove the goods meet the agreement's rules of origin and will provide that documentation if U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) asks. See U.S. free trade agreements for each agreement's rules.

Section 232 

Section 232 duties apply to covered goods such as steel, aluminum, copper, vehicles and auto parts, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, drones, and wood products. Depending on the item, the questionnaire asks:

  • How much aluminum, steel, or copper the item contains—None, 15% or less, More than 15%, or I'm not sure—and, if asked, the percentage.
  • The country where the metal was smelted (aluminum, copper) or melted and poured (steel), if you know it. You can attach a mill test certificate, but it isn't required.
  • Whether the item is a pharmaceutical or pharmaceutical ingredient, a generic or veterinary drug, or imported under a Commerce-approved onshoring plan.
  • Whether the item is a part for a passenger vehicle or light truck, a wooden kitchen cabinet or bathroom vanity, or a part for a drone docking station.

CBP collects Section 232 duties through Chapter 99 codes reported alongside the item's HTS code. Zonos reports the codes that match your answers—you don't need to know them.

An FTA claim usually doesn't remove Section 232 duties. Some USMCA-qualifying vehicles and auto parts are the exception. See Section 232 for covered goods and rates.

  • PGA checks — How Zonos screens your catalog items for U.S. agency requirements.
  • Supporting documents — Store certificates of origin and other paperwork with your products.
  • Duty disputes — Correct the duties assessed on a shipment.
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