Tariff guide for importers

Section 232 tariffs in 2026: steel, aluminum, copper, autos, lumber and more

Section 232 lets the President adjust imports that Commerce finds threaten national security. As of September 23, 2026 it puts additional duties on metals, vehicles and parts, trucks, wood products, some semiconductors, patented drugs and drones, with more dates already set. This guide lists the rates, the Chapter 99 lines, the carve-outs and how 232 stacks with other duties.

Updated · 26 primary sources

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Key facts

Steel, aluminum, most copper (Annex I-A)
50% of full customs value[1]
Metal derivatives (Annex I-B)
25% of full customs value[1]
Passenger vehicles and parts
25%[8]
Medium and heavy trucks / buses
25% / 10%[13]
Upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets
25%, rising January 1, 2027[12]
Patented pharmaceuticals
100% from September 29, 2026[16]
Drones and critical drone parts
100% or 25% since September 3, 2026[21]
Polysilicon and derivatives
Minimum price plus 15% from December 4, 2026[20]

What Section 232 is and where the authority comes from

Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (19 U.S.C. 1862) lets the President adjust imports of an article and its derivatives when the Secretary of Commerce finds they are imported in quantities or under circumstances that threaten to impair national security.[1] Commerce, through the Bureau of Industry and Security, runs the investigation. The President then acts by proclamation, and section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974 puts the result into Chapter 99 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS).[1]

A Section 232 duty is an additional duty. It is reported on its own Chapter 99 line next to the normal 10-digit HTS line, and CBP collects it on top of the Column 1 rate.[3] It applies by product and, where a proclamation says so, by country. It is not limited to one origin the way the China Section 301 duties are.

Not every Section 232 investigation ends in a tariff. The proclamations on processed critical minerals (January 14, 2026) and on commercial aircraft, jet engines and parts (July 9, 2026) direct negotiations, not duties.[15][18]

Section 232 rates and product scope as of September 23, 2026

The table gives the general rate for each program, the main Chapter 99 lines in HTS 2026 Revision 19 and the date each rate first applied to entries. Several programs have lower rates for particular partners, shown in the notes column. Coverage is set by the annexes to each proclamation and the U.S. notes to Chapter 99, so a product family name is a guide, not a scope ruling.

Section 232 duties in force or scheduled, as of September 23, 2026
ProductsAdditional dutyChapter 99 lineApplies to entries fromPartner rates and notes
Steel and aluminum articles, most copper articles, listed derivatives (Annex I-A)50% of full customs value[1]9903.82.02[3]April 6, 2026 on full value; 50% since June 4, 2025[6]UK 25% (9903.82.04)[3]
Copper articles and aluminum and steel derivatives in Annex I-B25% of full customs value[1]9903.82.09[3]April 6, 2026UK 15% (9903.82.05)[3]
Annex III: fixed industrial machinery and power equipment; agricultural equipment and some residential HVAC added June 8, 2026Column 1 rate plus 232 capped at 15% combined; none if Column 1 is 15% or more[1][2]9903.82.10, 9903.82.11[3]April 6, 2026 through December 31, 2027Annex I-B rates apply from January 1, 2028[1]
Annex I-C: mobile industrial equipment and machinery25%[2]9903.82.20 to 9903.82.22[3]June 8, 2026 through December 31, 202715% combined for Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Japan, Korea, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK, EU; USMCA goods 25% on non-US content with a 15% floor[2]
Aluminum articles from Russia or with Russian-smelted or cast aluminum200%[1]9903.85.67, 9903.85.68[3]Continued April 6, 2026Applies in place of the Annex I-A, I-B and III rates[1]
Passenger vehicles and light trucks25%[8]9903.94.01[3]April 3, 2025UK 7.5% inside an annual quota of 100,000 vehicles (9903.94.31)[10][3]; EU, Japan, Korea 15% including Column 1 (9903.94.51, 9903.94.41, 9903.94.61)[3]
Automobile parts25%[8]9903.94.05[3]May 3, 2025[3]UK 10%; EU, Japan, Korea, Taiwan 15% lines in 9903.94.32 to 9903.94.69[3]
Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and their parts25%[13]9903.74.01, 9903.74.08, 9903.74.09[3]November 1, 2025Approved USMCA vehicles: 25% on non-US content (9903.74.03)[3]
Buses (heading 8702)10%[13]9903.74.02[3]November 1, 2025No partner line in the HTS[3]
Softwood timber and lumber10%[11]9903.76.01[3]October 14, 2025No partner line in the HTS[3]
Upholstered wooden furniture25%, rising to 30% on January 1, 2027[12]9903.76.02[3]October 14, 2025UK 10% (9903.76.20); Japan, EU, Korea, Taiwan 15% (9903.76.21 to 9903.76.24)[3]
Kitchen cabinets, vanities and their parts25%, rising to 50% on January 1, 2027[12]9903.76.03[3]October 14, 2025Same partner lines as furniture[3]
Semiconductors that meet the proclamation's performance thresholds25%[14]9903.79.01; end-use exceptions 9903.79.02 to 9903.79.09[3]January 15, 2026Exceptions include US data centers, repair, R&D, startups and non-data-center consumer and industrial uses[3]
Patented pharmaceuticals and associated ingredients100%[16]9903.04.60[3]July 31, 2026 for companies in Annex III; September 29, 2026 for others[16]Japan, EU, Korea, Switzerland, Liechtenstein 15% (9903.04.62); UK line 9903.04.63 shows no added duty; generics not covered[3][16]
Drones, docking stations and listed critical components100%[21]9903.08.21[3]September 3, 2026Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, EU 15% max; UK 10% max[21]
Drones of 25 kg or less without a thermal imager25%[21]9903.08.22[3]September 3, 2026Listed components join at 25% on February 9, 2027[21]
Polysilicon, ingots, wafers, solar cells and modulesMinimum import price, plus 15% on ingots and derivatives[20]Not yet in the HTS as of September 23, 2026[3]December 4, 2026Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, EU 15% combined; UK 10%[20]

Steel, aluminum and copper: how the 2026 rules work

From April 6, 2026, the metals duties apply to the full customs value of the imported product, regardless of metal content.[1] Before that date, derivative duties were assessed on the value of the steel, aluminum or copper content.

Proclamation 11021 sorted metal products into annexes. Annex I-A (all aluminum and steel articles, most copper articles and some derivatives) pays 50%. Annex I-B (copper articles and other derivatives) pays 25%. Annex III gets the temporary 15% combined rate through December 31, 2027. Products in Annex II came out of the steel and aluminum duties altogether.[1] Proclamation 11032 added a further Annex I-C tier from June 8, 2026, added agricultural equipment and some residential HVAC systems to the 15% tier, and brought aluminum lithographic plates and steel racks into scope.[2]

  • Weight rule. Annex I-B and Annex III goods outside HTS Chapters 72, 73, 74 and 76 are not dutiable when the applicable metal is less than 15% of the article's weight (9903.82.03). Goods with no aluminum, steel or copper at all report 9903.82.01.[1][4]
  • Metal weight reported. CBP asks for the aggregate weight of the applicable metal in kilograms as a second quantity on the entry line.[4]
  • One metal duty per article. A good listed under more than one metal pays the metals duty once, even if it contains two or three of the metals.[1]
  • US-melted metal. Derivatives whose metal was entirely melted and poured, or smelted and cast, in the United States pay 10% (9903.82.06).[1] From June 8, 2026, "entirely" means at least 85% of the metal by weight.[2]
  • United Kingdom. UK steel and aluminum pay 25% under Annex I-A and 15% under Annex I-B when the metal was melted and poured, or smelted or cast, in the UK.[1]
  • Foreign-trade zones and drawback. Covered goods admitted to a foreign-trade zone must take privileged foreign status. Drawback is limited to Annex I-B and Annex III goods from listed agreement partners made with partner-country metal.[1]
  • Aluminum onshoring. Companies with an approved plan to build US primary aluminum capacity can import a matching quantity at half the Section 232 rate.[19]

Effective dates and recent changes

Each date below is the first day the change applied to goods entered for consumption or withdrawn from warehouse, at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time.

  • March 12, 2025. Steel and aluminum at 25% for all countries, with the country exemptions ended.[5]
  • April 3, 2025. 25% on passenger vehicles and light trucks; auto parts followed on May 3, 2025.[8][3]
  • June 4, 2025. Steel and aluminum raised to 50%, with the UK held at 25%.[6]
  • August 1, 2025. 50% on semi-finished copper products and copper-intensive derivatives.[7]
  • October 14, 2025. Timber and lumber at 10%, upholstered wooden furniture and kitchen cabinets and vanities at 25%.[11] The increases first set for January 1, 2026 were moved to January 1, 2027.[12]
  • November 1, 2025. Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and parts at 25%, buses at 10%.[13]
  • January 15, 2026. 25% on a narrow set of advanced semiconductors.[14]
  • April 6, 2026. Metals rebuilt: full customs value, annex tiers at 50%, 25% and 15%.[1]
  • June 8, 2026. Annex I-C tier, wider 15% tier, new derivatives and the 85% US-metal threshold.[2]
  • July 31 and September 29, 2026. Patented pharmaceutical duties start, first for companies listed in Annex III, then for all others.[16]
  • September 3, 2026. Drones and critical drone components at 100% or 25%.[21]

Inclusions and carve-outs

The metals program grows by inclusion. In August 2025 the Bureau of Industry and Security added 407 product categories of steel and aluminum derivatives through its inclusions process.[22] Proclamation 11021 ended that process and replaced it with a joint power for Commerce and the US Trade Representative to add derivative articles, including metal containers even when their contents are not themselves subject to the metals duties.[1]

On August 6, 2026, BIS proposed adding 14 more derivative categories, among them aluminum powder, brass-wind instruments, floor safes, some electric conductor cables, fire extinguishers, parts of heat exchange units, some self-propelled cranes, tanker and other trailers, and certain filled steel containers. Comments closed August 27, 2026.[23] As of September 23, 2026 we found no final inclusion notice for that list in the Federal Register, so treat it as proposed.

  • No metal, or little metal. 9903.82.01 and 9903.82.03 cover annex goods with no covered metal, or below the 15% weight threshold outside Chapters 72, 73, 74 and 76.[3]
  • Semiconductor end uses. 9903.79.03 to 9903.79.09 exempt covered chips for US data centers, repair or replacement, R&D, startups, and non-data-center consumer, industrial and public-sector uses.[3]
  • Pharmaceuticals. Generics are not covered for now. Orphan drugs, nuclear medicines, plasma-derived therapies, fertility treatments, cell and gene therapies and some other specialty products can be zero-rated for eligible partners.[16][17]
  • Drone lines used for other purposes. Parts and docking-station subheadings entered for something other than a drone report 9903.08.20 at no change.[3]

How Section 232 stacks with other duties

A Section 232 duty is added to the Column 1 rate of the 10-digit HTS line.[3] Whether other additional duties also apply depends on the program, and the rules are written into each action.

Antidumping and countervailing duties come from separate product-specific orders. Have a licensed customs broker check whether an order covers your goods.

  • Autos and metals. Under Executive Order 14289 of April 29, 2025, a vehicle or part that pays the Section 232 auto duty does not also pay the steel or aluminum duty.[9]
  • Section 301 on China. The China Section 301 headings except only USTR exclusions, not Section 232 goods. On an entry line that carries both, CBP's reporting order puts the Section 301 Chapter 99 number first and the Section 232 number after it.[3][24] See our Section 301 guide.
  • Section 301 on forced labor. The duty in force since July 24, 2026 on goods from about 60 economies does not apply to metals, vehicles and parts, trucks and parts, wood products, patented pharmaceuticals or semiconductor articles covered by Section 232 (9903.05.90).[3][25]
  • IEEPA duties. IEEPA tariffs stopped being collected on February 24, 2026, so they no longer stack with Section 232.[26] For refunds see tariff refunds.

How to check whether your product is covered

Coverage turns on the 10-digit HTS line, the country of origin, the entry date and, for metals, the metal weight and where the metal was melted or smelted. These steps narrow it down. They don't replace a classification from a licensed customs broker.

  1. Find the 10-digit line in the HTS code finder.
  2. Run the line, the origin and the entry date through the tariff simulator. It lists each Chapter 99 duty in force on that date.
  3. Check ready-made pages in import duty by HTS code for high-volume lines.
  4. For metal goods, get the supplier's metal weight per article and the country of melt and pour, or smelt and cast, before the goods ship.
  5. Ask your licensed customs broker to confirm the annex, the Chapter 99 line and any partner rate before the entry is filed.

Dates to watch

These dates are already set in published proclamations as of September 23, 2026. Any of them can be changed by a later proclamation.

  • September 29, 2026. Patented pharmaceutical duties reach all companies not listed in Annex III.[16]
  • December 4, 2026. Polysilicon minimum import price and the 15% duty begin.[20]
  • January 1, 2027. Upholstered wooden furniture goes to 30% and kitchen cabinets and vanities to 50%, except for countries with an agreement.[12]
  • February 9, 2027. Listed drone components join at 25%.[21]
  • January 1, 2028. Annex III and Annex I-C goods move to the Annex I-B rates.[1][2]
  • Refined copper. The copper proclamation asked Commerce for an update by June 30, 2026 on whether to phase in a 15% duty on refined copper from January 1, 2027 and 30% from January 1, 2028.[7] We found no proclamation acting on it as of September 23, 2026, so this is unsettled.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Section 232 tariff rate on steel and aluminum in 2026?

As of September 23, 2026, 50% for steel and aluminum articles and the derivatives in Annex I-A, 25% for Annex I-B derivatives, and 15% combined with the Column 1 rate for Annex III goods through December 31, 2027. Since April 6, 2026 the rate applies to the full customs value, not the metal content.[1]

Does Section 232 apply to every country?

The general rates apply to all origins. Some programs set lower rates for particular partners, such as the UK, the EU, Japan and Korea, and those lower rates are claimed on their own Chapter 99 lines.[3] Russian aluminum pays 200%.[1]

Is Section 232 charged on the whole product or only the metal?

On the whole product since April 6, 2026. Before that, derivative duties were assessed on the metal content only.[1] Goods outside Chapters 72, 73, 74 and 76 with less than 15% covered metal by weight are not dutiable under Annex I-B or Annex III.[4]

Do Section 232 and Section 301 duties both apply to Chinese steel products?

The China Section 301 headings do not carve out Section 232 goods, and CBP's reporting order lists the Section 301 line first and the Section 232 line after it.[3][24] The newer Section 301 forced-labor duty does exempt Section 232 goods.[25] Have a licensed customs broker confirm the lines for your entry.

Are generic drugs subject to the Section 232 pharmaceutical tariff?

No. Proclamation 11020 covers patented pharmaceuticals and their associated ingredients and leaves generics out for now, with a review due within one year of April 2, 2026.[16]

Can I get an exclusion from Section 232?

The published carve-outs are product- and use-based: no covered metal, metal below the weight threshold, semiconductor end uses, specialty pharmaceuticals and non-drone uses of drone-part lines.[3] Commerce and USTR can also add products, and from April 6, 2026 they took over the power to include new metal derivatives.[1]

Can Airlift file my Section 232 entries?

Airlift USA is an NVOCC and freight forwarder, not a licensed customs broker. We move the freight and arrange the customs entry through licensed customs brokers, who file the Chapter 99 lines on the importer's behalf.

Sources

  1. Proclamation 11021: Strengthening Actions Taken To Adjust Imports of Aluminum, Steel, and Copper Into the United States (91 FR 18201). Federal Register, April 9, 2026.
  2. Proclamation 11032: Further Adjusting the Tariff Regimes for Imports of Aluminum, Steel, and Copper Into the United States (91 FR 34085). Federal Register, June 4, 2026.
  3. Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, 2026 Revision 19, Chapter 99 subchapter III. U.S. International Trade Commission, September 15, 2026.
  4. CSMS #68253075: Guidance on Section 232 Duties on Imports of Aluminum, Steel, and Copper. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, April 3, 2026.
  5. Proclamation 10895: Adjusting Imports of Aluminum Into the United States (90 FR 9807). Federal Register, February 18, 2025.
  6. Proclamation 10947: Adjusting Imports of Aluminum and Steel Into the United States (90 FR 24199). Federal Register, June 9, 2025.
  7. Proclamation 10962: Adjusting Imports of Copper Into the United States (90 FR 37727). Federal Register, August 5, 2025.
  8. Proclamation 10908: Adjusting Imports of Automobiles and Automobile Parts Into the United States (90 FR 14705). Federal Register, April 3, 2025.
  9. Executive Order 14289: Addressing Certain Tariffs on Imported Articles (90 FR 18907). Federal Register, May 2, 2025.
  10. Executive Order 14309: Implementing the General Terms of the United States of America-United Kingdom Economic Prosperity Deal (90 FR 26419). Federal Register, June 23, 2025.
  11. Proclamation 10976: Adjusting Imports of Timber, Lumber, and Their Derivative Products Into the United States (90 FR 48127). Federal Register, October 6, 2025.
  12. Proclamation 11000: Amendments to Adjusting Imports of Timber, Lumber, and Their Derivative Products Into the United States (91 FR 1039). Federal Register, January 9, 2026.
  13. Proclamation 10984: Adjusting Imports of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles, Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Parts, and Buses Into the United States (90 FR 48451). Federal Register, October 22, 2025.
  14. Proclamation 11002: Adjusting Imports of Semiconductors, Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment, and Their Derivative Products Into the United States (91 FR 2443). Federal Register, January 20, 2026.
  15. Proclamation 11001: Adjusting Imports of Processed Critical Minerals and Their Derivative Products Into the United States (91 FR 2439). Federal Register, January 20, 2026.
  16. Proclamation 11020: Adjusting Imports of Pharmaceuticals and Pharmaceutical Ingredients Into the United States (91 FR 18183). Federal Register, April 9, 2026.
  17. Guidance and Procedures for Implementing Tariff Adjustments for Specialty Pharmaceuticals and Associated Pharmaceutical Ingredients (91 FR 60360). Federal Register (Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security), September 23, 2026.
  18. Proclamation 11040: Adjusting Imports of Commercial Aircraft, Jet Engines, and Aircraft and Engine Parts Into the United States (91 FR 43507). Federal Register, July 15, 2026.
  19. Proclamation 11045: Further Strengthening Actions Taken To Adjust Imports of Aluminum Into the United States (91 FR 46635). Federal Register, July 23, 2026.
  20. Proclamation 11052: Adjusting Imports of Polysilicon and Its Derivatives Into the United States (91 FR 51975). Federal Register, August 11, 2026.
  21. Proclamation 11055: Adjusting Imports of Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Unmanned Aircraft Systems Components Into the United States (91 FR 53699). Federal Register, August 19, 2026.
  22. Department of Commerce Adds 407 Product Categories to Steel and Aluminum Tariffs. Bureau of Industry and Security, August 19, 2025.
  23. Request for Public Comments on the Proposed Implementation of Duties on Additional Aluminum, Steel, and Copper Derivative Articles (91 FR 50756). Federal Register (Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security), August 6, 2026.
  24. Entry Summary Order of Reporting for Multiple HTS Classifications in ACE. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, August 27, 2026.
  25. Notice of Actions in Section 301 Investigations of Various Economies Related to Forced Labor Import Prohibitions (91 FR 47318). Federal Register (Office of the U.S. Trade Representative), July 28, 2026.
  26. Executive Order 14389: Ending Certain Tariff Actions (91 FR 9437). Federal Register, February 25, 2026.

General information, not legal advice. Tariff measures change often, and how one applies to your goods depends on the HTS classification, the country of origin, the value and the entry date. Confirm the treatment of your entries with a licensed customs broker before you act. Airlift USA is an NVOCC and freight forwarder, not a licensed customs broker; we arrange customs entries and refund filings through licensed customs brokers.

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