Section 232 metal data in 2026: what importers must report
Updated · Rotomal
Since 6 April 2026, Section 232 duties of 10 to 50 percent apply to the full customs value of covered steel, aluminum and copper articles and derivatives, not to the metal content value. Importers still report the country of melt and pour for steel and the country of smelt and cast for aluminum. Listed goods outside HTSUS chapters 72, 73, 74 and 76 with less than 15 percent metal by weight are excluded and reported under 9903.82.03 with the metal weight in kilograms, and goods with no steel, aluminum or copper use 9903.82.01 at 0 percent.
What changed in 2026
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 6 Apr 2026 | Proclamation 11021: duty on full customs value; 15 percent weight threshold; melt and smelt reporting continues |
| 6 Apr 2026 (retroactive) | Heading 9903.82.01 at 0 percent for covered codes with no steel, aluminum or copper, added by CSMS on 6 May 2026 |
| 8 Jun 2026 | Proclamation 11032: US-metal threshold lowered from 95 to 85 percent by weight; lithographic plates and steel racks added; agricultural equipment and certain residential HVAC moved to the reduced 15 percent rate |
| 31 Dec 2027 | Proclamation 11032's reduced rates end unless changed |
The data to collect for each SKU
- HTSUS code, and whether it appears on CBP's Metals HTS list
- Whether the product contains any steel, aluminum or copper
- Aggregate weight of the metals named for that code, in kilograms, and as a share of product weight
- Country of melt and pour for steel
- Primary and secondary country of smelt and country of cast for aluminum
- Share of metal weight melted and poured or smelted and cast in the US
- The supplier document that supports each value
Where the data comes from
Melt and smelt countries come from the mill that made the metal, so ask your supplier for its mill certificate or a signed declaration naming the mill and country. Weights come from the bill of materials or by weighing the metal parts. Keep the documents: the importer has to support what is declared.
If you want help
Melt Sheet screens your catalog against the Metals HTS list and builds this data per SKU from your records and supplier answers, with the evidence linked. $19 spot check on 10 SKUs, then $149 once for up to 200 SKUs. It is record organization, not customs brokerage or legal advice: your broker chooses the headings and prepares and files the entry.
Sources
- CBP CSMS 68253075: Section 232 duties on imports of aluminum, steel and copper (3 April 2026) Source: content.govdelivery.com
- CBP CSMS 68554727: Technical corrections to Section 232 duties (6 May 2026) Source: content.govdelivery.com
- Federal Register: Proclamation 11032, Further Adjusting the Tariff Regimes for Imports of Aluminum, Steel, and Copper (4 June 2026) Source: govinfo.gov