Section 232: Additional country exemptions

Just prior to Section 232 coming into effect at 12:01 a.m. EDT on March 23, 2018, the Proclamations requiring a 25% duty on steel articles and 10% duty on aluminum articles were amended to include additional country exemptions . The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency followed with a Cargo System Messaging Service notice 18-000240 to inform importers.

Proclamation 9704 and 9705 on steel and aluminum exempted Canada and Mexico pending the ongoing NAFTA renegotiation talks. The adjustment now also exempts additional countries of origin, as follows:

  • Australia
  • Argentina
  • South Korea
  • Brazil
  • European Union*

Critically, all of the country of origin exemptions, including Canada and Mexico, will expire at 12:01am EDT on May 1, 2018. This firmly puts pressure on Canada and Mexico to conclude the NAFTA renegotiation. The exemptions could be extended, but in all cases it is now a matter of further negotiations.

For more information about the Section 232 duties and obtaining specific product exclusions see the following Livingston Trade News articles:
Here’s What Importers Need to Know About the US’s New Steel & Aluminum Tariffs
Want To Be Excluded From Steel & Aluminum Tariffs? Here’s How

For more information about these new tariffs, their impact, and ways to ensure your business is ready, see our FAQ:

Section 232 – Frequently Asked Questions

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* EU member countries that are exempt: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom