Steel HS Codes Under Section 232

Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 has been in active use for US steel imports since the original 2018 proclamation under President Trump. The 25 percent ad valorem duty applies to most chapter 72 and 73 lines, plus an expanded derivative articles list that includes parts of chapters 84, 85, 87, 94, and others. The 2025 melt-and-pour rule shifted the origin determination significantly: now the origin of the steel itself (where it was melted) matters, not just where the final article was fabricated.

This guide lists the chapter 72 and 73 lines in scope, explains the derivative article rule, the melt-and-pour origin, and the country TRQ status.

Chapter 72: iron and steel

Almost all of chapter 72 is in scope. Key headings:

• 7201: pig iron and spiegeleisen. Section 232: applies.
• 7202: ferro-alloys. Specific subheadings are in scope.
• 7203: ferrous products from reduction of iron ore. Applies.
• 7204: ferrous waste and scrap. Applies in some sub-categories.
• 7205: granules and powders of pig iron. Applies.
• 7206-7207: iron and non-alloy steel in primary forms. Applies.
• 7208-7212: flat-rolled iron and non-alloy steel. Applies.
• 7213-7215: bars and rods. Applies.
• 7216: angles, shapes, and sections of iron or non-alloy steel. Applies.
• 7217: wire of iron or non-alloy steel. Applies.
• 7218-7223: stainless steel primary forms, flat-rolled, bars. Applies.
• 7224-7229: other alloy steel. Applies.

Chapter 73: articles of iron or steel

Many but not all of chapter 73 is in scope. Key headings:

• 7301: sheet piling. Applies.
• 7302: railway track material. Applies.
• 7303-7306: pipes and tubes (cast iron, stainless, welded, seamless). Applies.
• 7307: tube or pipe fittings. Applies for specific sub-categories.
• 7308: structures and parts of structures. Applies.
• 7309-7311: tanks, drums, casks, pressure containers. Specific sub-categories apply.
• 7312-7313: stranded wire, cables, ropes; barbed wire. Applies.
• 7314: cloth, grill, netting. Applies.
• 7315: chains. Applies in specific sub-categories.
• 7316: anchors, grapnels. Applies.
• 7317-7318: nails, screws, bolts, washers, springs. Specific sub-categories apply.
• 7319-7320: needles, hooks, springs. Applies in part.
• 7321: stoves, ranges, grates. Applies.
• 7322: radiators, central heating, hot air heaters. Applies.
• 7323-7324: tableware, kitchenware, sanitary ware. Applies in part.
• 7325-7326: cast articles, other articles of steel. Applies in part.

The exact subheading-level coverage is in the original 2018 proclamation and subsequent amendments. Use the CBP-published list current to your import date.

The expanded derivative articles list

The 2020 expansion (initially struck down on procedural grounds, then re-imposed under proper authority) added derivative articles to Section 232 scope. Key examples:

• HTS 7317.00.55: nails of iron or steel.
• HTS 7317.00.65: brads of iron or steel.
• HTS 7317.00.75: tacks and staples.
• HTS 8708.10.30: bumpers and parts of bumpers (steel).
• HTS 9403.20: other metal furniture (predominantly steel).
• HTS 9405.10: chandeliers and other electric ceiling or wall lighting fittings (steel).

For derivative articles, Section 232 applies to the steel value portion of the entered value, not the full value. The importer must report the steel value on the entry summary, with a producer affidavit supporting the calculation.

Melt-and-pour origin: the 2025 rule

Before 2025, Section 232 origin was determined by the country where the steel article was substantially transformed into its final form. After January 2025 (with phased implementation completed by mid-2025), the melt-and-pour rule applies:

"The origin of the steel for the purpose of Section 232 is the country in which the steel was first melted (in a steel-making furnace) and continuously poured into its first solid form."

In practice:

• A Mexican steel mill that buys Chinese billet, rolls it to plate, and exports the plate: the steel is Chinese origin for Section 232.
• A Korean mill that melts its own iron and produces plate: Korean origin.
• A Japanese mill that buys US scrap, melts and pours it, exports: Japanese origin (since the melt is in Japan).

The producer must provide a mill test report (MTR) or certificate of origin for steel identifying:

• The mill where melt and pour occurred.
• The country of that mill.
• The heat number.
• Date of melt.

US importers must obtain and retain these documents. CBP can request them on audit.

Country TRQ arrangements

Several countries have negotiated TRQ arrangements with the US that allow quota-exempt imports of steel:

Within quota: 0 percent Section 232. Over quota: 25 percent.

For non-TRQ countries (China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Russia, Turkey, etc.): full 25 percent Section 232 applies.

Worked example: hot-rolled coil from China

A 200,000 USD shipment of hot-rolled steel coil (HTS 7208.39) from China. China-origin steel, no TRQ. AD duty applies at, say, 30 percent for the specific producer.

Effective rate 80 percent. Chinese steel into the US is economically prohibitive for most categories.

Worked example: Mexican-origin steel pipe

A 150,000 USD shipment of welded steel pipe (HTS 7306.30.50) from Mexico. The Mexican mill uses US scrap melted and poured in Mexico (so Mexican origin for Section 232). USMCA-qualifying.

Quarterly TRQ for Mexico is filled for the current quarter.

Effective rate 25 percent. Even USMCA-qualifying Mexican steel pays Section 232 if over the quarterly quota.

Mill test report essentials

A defensible MTR contains:

• Mill name and address.
• Mill country.
• Heat number (unique per melt batch).
• Date of melt and pour.
• Chemical composition.
• Mechanical properties.
• Quality system standard (ISO 9001, EN 10204).

For US imports, retain the MTR with the entry file. CBP audit requests can demand the MTR years after entry.

How the calculator handles steel

The LandedFees calculator for chapter 72 and 73 (and the derivative list):

1. Identifies the HTS as in scope for Section 232.
2. Asks for the melt-and-pour origin country.
3. Checks the country TRQ status (in quota vs over quota).
4. Applies 25 percent Section 232 if over quota or no TRQ.
5. Applies anti-stacking against Section 122 on the same value.
6. Computes the steel value share for derivative articles.

Related guides

• Aluminum HS Codes Under Section 232
• Section 232 vs 301 vs 122: How US Tariffs Stack in 2026
• What is Section 122? The 2026 Reciprocal Tariff Explained
• USMCA Origin Rules: What Qualifies and What Doesn't
• Calculate Import Duty: Mexico to USA
• Calculate Import Duty: Brazil to USA

Run a steel calculation in the calculator.