The metal facts your broker needs, for every SKU, before the next entry
Since 6 April 2026, Section 232 duties of 10 to 50 percent apply to the full customs value of covered metal articles and derivatives. Whether a product pays, and at which rate, now turns on metal weight and where the metal was melted or smelted. Melt Sheet organizes those facts from your own records and your suppliers' answers, SKU by SKU, so your broker has them when it prepares the entry.
Updated
- Each SKU checked against CBP's Metals HTS list: covered or not, and whether it contains any steel, aluminum or copper at all (heading 9903.82.01 carries a 0 percent rate for covered classifications with none of the three metals).
- Aggregate metal weight per unit in kilograms and as a share of product weight, with the 15 percent threshold worked out for products outside HTSUS chapters 72, 73, 74 and 76.
- Country of melt and pour for steel and country of smelt and cast for aluminum, backed by the supplier declaration or mill certificate on file.
A law firm alert on Proclamation 11021 notes that a June 2025 order applied Section 232 tariffs only to the steel content of derivative articles, and that duties now apply to the full customs value of the product regardless of metal content (Thompson Coburn, April 2026).
Source: thompsoncoburn.comCBP CSMS 68253075 (3 April 2026): the 2 April 2026 proclamation (Proclamation 11021) imposes 10 to 50 percent Section 232 duties on the full customs value of covered aluminum, steel and copper articles and derivatives entered from 6 April 2026; importers keep reporting country of melt and pour for steel and country of smelt and cast for aluminum, and CBP will announce by CSMS when copper smelt and cast reporting starts for certain HTSUS 8544 codes. Listed goods outside HTSUS chapters 72, 73, 74 and 76 with less than 15 percent aggregate weight of the applicable metals are excluded and reported under 9903.82.03 with the metal weight in kilograms as a second quantity; goods covered by more than one metal pay only one rate.
Source: content.govdelivery.comCBP CSMS 68554727 (6 May 2026) added heading 9903.82.01, a 0 percent rate for goods in covered classifications that contain no aluminum, steel or copper, retroactive to 6 April 2026, and attached a Metals HTS list of the covered classifications.
Source: content.govdelivery.comSection 232 changed in April and again in June, and the data moved with it
From June 2025 until April 2026, Section 232 duties on many derivative products applied only to the value of their metal content, so importers had to work out a metal content value for those lines. Proclamation 11021 replaced that: from 6 April 2026 the duty applies to the full customs value of covered goods. The value split is gone. What decides the duty now is whether the HTSUS code is listed, how much of the product's weight is steel, aluminum or copper, and where that metal was first produced.
Then Proclamation 11032 moved the line again. From 8 June 2026, the US-metal test is met if at least 85 percent of the weight of the product's aluminum, steel and copper was melted and poured or smelted and cast in the United States, down from 95 percent. It also added aluminum lithographic plates and steel racks to coverage and moved agricultural equipment and certain HVAC systems mainly for residential use to the temporarily reduced 15 percent rate.
None of these facts are on a commercial invoice. They sit with your suppliers' suppliers. A small importer with a few hundred SKUs gets the broker's question, what is the melt country and metal weight for line 14, at the worst possible moment: when the goods are already at the port.
Without it
- Your customs broker: Your broker files the Section 232 lines and knows the headings. Most brokers ask you for the metal facts rather than…
- Doing it yourself: CBP publishes the CSMS guidance and the Metals HTS list free. With a short catalog and responsive suppliers, a…
- Trade compliance software: Larger importers use classification and supplier-data platforms, often on annual contracts. They suit companies with…
With Melt Sheet
- Each SKU checked against CBP's Metals HTS list: covered or not, and whether it contains any steel, aluminum or copper at all (heading 9903.82.01 carries a 0 percent rate for covered classifications with none of the three metals).
- Aggregate metal weight per unit in kilograms and as a share of product weight, with the 15 percent threshold worked out for products outside HTSUS chapters 72, 73, 74 and 76.
- Country of melt and pour for steel and country of smelt and cast for aluminum, backed by the supplier declaration or mill certificate on file.
- Coverage screen
- Metal weight and the 15 percent test
How it works
- 1
$19 10-SKU check
Send 10 SKUs with their HTSUS codes. Within two business days we tell you which are on the Metals HTS list and what data each one is missing.
- 2
Catalog pass
You send your SKU list, product weights and any supplier documents. We screen every SKU and build the metal sheet in up to 5 business days.
- 3
Supplier requests
For gaps, we send you a ready-to-forward supplier questionnaire asking for metal weight and melt, pour, smelt and cast countries, and log the answers as they arrive.
- 4
Hand-off to your broker
You review the sheet and give it to your customs broker, who decides the Chapter 99 headings and files the entry.
Features
Coverage screen
Every SKU matched to CBP's Metals HTS list by its HTSUS code, with products in covered codes that contain no steel, aluminum or copper marked for your broker's review.
Metal weight and the 15 percent test
Aggregate weight of the metals the annex names for that code, per unit, in kilograms and as a share of product weight. Chapters 72, 73, 74 and 76 are marked as outside the threshold.
Melt, pour, smelt and cast countries
Country of melt and pour for steel, primary and secondary smelt and country of cast for aluminum, and a copper column ready for when CBP starts that reporting.
US-metal share
The share of the product's metal weight melted and poured or smelted and cast in the US, from supplier evidence, against the 85 percent threshold in force since 8 June 2026, for your broker to apply.
Evidence file per SKU
Each value links to its source: supplier declaration, mill certificate or spec sheet, with the date received. Values without evidence are marked as estimates.
Supplier questionnaire
A short, plain-English form your suppliers can fill in, asking for the metal facts CBP guidance refers to. We chase nothing in your name; you forward it.
A look inside
What you get: the working view and the delivery report.
Illustration of the layout, built from this page's own feature list. It shows no real results.
Who it's for
Online sellers importing metal goods
Cookware, tools, fixtures, furniture with steel frames, bike parts. You get one sheet that answers your broker's metal questions for every SKU.
Small importers with a broker
Your broker keeps asking for melt countries line by line. You get the data once, organized and sourced, and a way to keep it current.
Importers of products with little metal
Some of your goods may fall under the 15 percent weight threshold or contain no listed metal at all. You get the weights that show it.
Brands buying from several factories
The same SKU may come from two suppliers with different steel. You get the metal facts per supplier and per SKU.
Works with
- CBP Metals HTS list (CSMS attachment)
- Your SKU list from Shopify, WooCommerce or your ERP
- Supplier mill certificates and declarations (PDF)
- Excel and CSV
- Google Sheets
- Your customs broker's import template
Pricing
The spot check and the catalog pass are paid once, and the $19 spot check is credited in full against a catalog pass ordered within 30 days; upkeep is monthly and can be cancelled any time. Prices cover screening, data collection and the sheet; we do not choose or file Chapter 99 headings, calculate duty owed for an entry or contact CBP. The importer and its licensed broker stay responsible for what is declared. Founding customer pricing applies to early-access orders.
Orders are subject to the Melt Sheet terms.
Spot check
$19 one-time
10 SKUs, to see what is covered and what is missing
- Coverage against the Metals HTS list
- Data gaps per SKU
- Supplier questionnaire template
- Reply within two business days
- Fee credited in full against a catalog pass ordered within 30 days
Catalog pass
$149 one-time
Up to 200 SKUs
- Coverage screen for every SKU
- Metal weight and 15 percent test
- Melt, pour, smelt and cast countries
- US-metal share against 85 percent
- Evidence file per SKU
- Supplier answers logged for 30 days
Catalog pass + upkeep
$149 + $39 once, then per month
Up to 1,000 SKUs, kept current
- Everything in Catalog pass
- New SKUs added within 2 business days
- Sheet updated when CBP issues new Section 232 guidance
- Copper smelt and cast column filled when reporting starts
- Supplier answers logged continuously
Compared with the alternatives
- Your customs broker
- Your broker files the Section 232 lines and knows the headings. Most brokers ask you for the metal facts rather than finding them, and price that work separately if they do it.
- Doing it yourself
- CBP publishes the CSMS guidance and the Metals HTS list free. With a short catalog and responsive suppliers, a spreadsheet works. It gets hard with many SKUs, several factories and frequent rule changes.
- Trade compliance software
- Larger importers use classification and supplier-data platforms, often on annual contracts. They suit companies with compliance staff; Melt Sheet is a fixed-price pass for small catalogs.
What changed
- A law firm alert on Proclamation 11021 notes that a June 2025 order applied Section 232 tariffs only to the steel content of derivative articles, and that duties now apply to the full customs value of the product regardless of metal content (Thompson Coburn, April 2026). Source: thompsoncoburn.com
- CBP CSMS 68253075 (3 April 2026): the 2 April 2026 proclamation (Proclamation 11021) imposes 10 to 50 percent Section 232 duties on the full customs value of covered aluminum, steel and copper articles and derivatives entered from 6 April 2026; importers keep reporting country of melt and pour for steel and country of smelt and cast for aluminum, and CBP will announce by CSMS when copper smelt and cast reporting starts for certain HTSUS 8544 codes. Listed goods outside HTSUS chapters 72, 73, 74 and 76 with less than 15 percent aggregate weight of the applicable metals are excluded and reported under 9903.82.03 with the metal weight in kilograms as a second quantity; goods covered by more than one metal pay only one rate. Source: content.govdelivery.com
- CBP CSMS 68554727 (6 May 2026) added heading 9903.82.01, a 0 percent rate for goods in covered classifications that contain no aluminum, steel or copper, retroactive to 6 April 2026, and attached a Metals HTS list of the covered classifications. Source: content.govdelivery.com
- Proclamation 11032 (signed 1 June 2026, effective 8 June 2026) lowers the US-metal threshold from 95 to 85 percent of the weight of the product's aluminum, steel and copper, adds aluminum lithographic plates and steel racks, puts agricultural equipment and certain mainly residential HVAC systems in the temporarily reduced 15 percent category, and keeps its reduced rates until 31 December 2027 (Federal Register, 4 June 2026). Source: govinfo.gov
From request to a metal sheet your broker can use
The catalog pass is delivered within 5 business days of receiving your SKU list. Supplier answers are added as they arrive.
- Day 1: $19 spot check on 10 SKUs.
- Day 1–2: You send the SKU list, weights and supplier documents you have.
- Day 3–5: Metal sheet delivered, with gaps marked and the supplier questionnaire.
- Day 5 onward: Supplier answers logged; updated sheet sent to you and your broker.
Security and data
- We never ask for ACE logins and never contact CBP on your behalf.
- Supplier documents and SKU data are encrypted in transit and at rest and used only for your sheet.
- We do not contact your suppliers in our name; you forward the questionnaire.
- Only the people working on your order can open your files, and each access is logged.
- One-time orders are deleted 60 days after delivery, or sooner on request; upkeep files are deleted when you cancel.
Questions
Do I still need a metal content value?
For most goods, no. Since 6 April 2026, Section 232 duty is charged on the full customs value of covered goods. Metal weight and melt or smelt country now matter instead. One exception: USMCA-qualifying goods from Canada and Mexico can pay only on non-US content under Proclamation 11032, which needs value data your broker will ask for.
What is the 15 percent threshold?
Listed goods outside HTSUS chapters 72, 73, 74 and 76 are excluded if they contain less than 15 percent aggregate weight of the metals the annex names for their code. Your broker reports them under 9903.82.03 with the metal weight in kilograms.
What if my product contains no steel, aluminum or copper at all?
Goods in covered classifications that contain none of the three metals use heading 9903.82.01 at 0 percent, retroactive to 6 April 2026. You need to be able to show it, which is what the evidence file is for.
Does copper need smelt and cast reporting?
CBP said in April 2026 that it would announce by CSMS when country of smelt and cast reporting starts for copper under certain HTSUS 8544 codes. Melt Sheet collects the data now so it is ready.
Can I get Section 232 duties back through drawback?
CBP's April 2026 guidance says manufacturing drawback is available for these duties for articles that meet clause 13 of Proclamation 11021. Whether other drawback types apply to your goods is a question for your broker.
Do you file or choose the Chapter 99 headings?
No. We are not a licensed customs broker. We collect and organize metal facts from your own records and suppliers; your broker chooses the headings and files the entry. Under 19 U.S.C. 1641, only a licensed broker may conduct customs business for others.
Is this legal advice?
No. Melt Sheet is record organization, not legal advice or customs brokerage, and Rotomal is not affiliated with CBP. Section 232 rules are changing often; confirm entries with your licensed broker or trade lawyer.
Have the metal answers before the broker asks
$19 spot check on 10 SKUs, then a full Section 232 metal sheet for $149 once, with optional upkeep at $39 a month.
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