Section 232
Also: steel and aluminum tariffs · 232 tariffs
US tariffs on imports deemed a national-security risk — most notably steel and aluminum — imposed under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962.
Definition
Section 232 lets the President restrict imports found to threaten national security following a Commerce Department investigation. The 2018 findings on steel and aluminum led to additional tariffs — initially 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum — set by proclamation.
The measure attaches to the material, not one country, and reaches derivative products (goods made substantially of the covered metal) via specific HTS numbers in Chapter 99. Rates, country exclusions and scope have changed repeatedly, so confirm the current proclamation.
Worked example
A steel wire-shelving product can be caught by a Section 232 derivative list, adding the metal tariff on top of its base rate and any Section 301 duty.
Related codes & tools
Related terms
Sources
Definitions are informational, not customs rulings. Confirm rates against the schedule of record and see our methodology & disclaimer.