Section 232 is a national-security tariff on steel, aluminum, and (since 2025) copper. The rate is 50% of the customs value, and it applies on top of the base rate and any Section 301 tariff.
What is covered
Two groups:
- Primary metal articles: most goods in HTS chapters 72 and 73 (steel), 76 (aluminum), and 74 (copper). The whole article is the metal, so the 50% applies to the full value.
- Derivative articles: specific downstream products listed in the schedule's notes (U.S. note 16). For these, the 50% applies only to the metal content value, not the whole product.
Why you cannot read it from the code alone
The covered derivative products are enumerated in the notes, not flagged on each 10-digit code, and the duty depends on declared metal content. So unlike Section 301, it cannot be auto-detected from the HTS code.
If you import steel, aluminum, or copper articles, the calculator has a toggle to add the 50% so you can see the effect. For derivatives, treat it as an upper bound and confirm the covered codes and content with your customs broker.
See also: the full China import tariff stack.