United States: 25% tariffs on steel, aluminum, and their derivatives
Steel, aluminum, and their derivatives will be subject to an additional 25% duty upon importation into the United States beginning March 12, 2025. The regulation, formalized by two notices from the US customs agency, marks a further tightening of the Country’s trade policy.
In February, President Trump enacted two proclamations – Adjusting Imports of Aluminum into the United States (#10895) e Adjusting Imports of Steel into the United States (#10896) – which bolster the tariffs established under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. The measure not only affirms the 25% duty on steel imports but also escalates the aluminum tariff from 10% to 25% and extends to derivative products effective from March 12, 2025.
The measure’s extension impact multiple product categories:
- aluminum and derivatives: items classified under tariff chapters 66, 76, 83, 84, 85, 87, 88, 90, 94, 95, and 96.
- steel and derivatives: items classified under tariff chapters 72, 73, 84, 85, 87, and 94
The measures eliminate all types of preferential treatment, encompassing absolute quotas, tariff quotas, and exemptions for specific countries. Additionally, they terminate previously approved general exclusions (General Approved Exclusions, GEA), retaining only those specific exclusions recorded in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) system, which remain valid until their expiration or until the authorized volume is depleted.
Only products manufactured from molten steel or extruded aluminum within the United States will be exempt from the heightened duties. The duty for any other derivatives will be determined based on the value of the base metal.
No duty drawback will be available for these imposed duties. Moreover, steel, aluminum, and their derivatives entering US free zones from March 12, 2025, will obtain “privileged foreign” status and will be subject to duties when entered into the U.S. for consumption.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has produced two operational documents to elucidate the implementation of the new measures:
- CSMS #64348288, pertaining to aluminum and its derivatives
- CSMS #64348411, pertaining to steel and its derivatives
The two documents list the subheadings of chapter 99 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) required for import declaration and offer comprehensive guidelines for accurately declaring aluminum and steel content, including the country of “melt and pour” (for aluminum: this also applies when recycled materials are utilized).
