US : Additional 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium imports with effect from 12 March 2025

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref. : EIC 111/3
EIC 111/3/13

12 February 2025
(Updated on 18 February 2025)

Dear Sirs,

The US President signed on 10 February 2025 two proclamations to announce that steel and aluminium articles imports shall be subject to an additional 25% ad valorem rate of duty with effect from 12 March 2025.

2.Pursuant to Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, the US imposed additional tariffs of 25% and 10% on respectively steel and aluminium products imported from all countries/economies (except certain economies which are fully exempted or subject to quotas) on 23 March 2018 under the "Section 232 investigation". The US further included certain derivatives of steel and aluminium products for the additional tariffs on 8 February 2020. The US Department of Commerce has also developed an exclusion process for manufacturers to submit requests for the exclusion of specific products from the additional tariffs.

3.On 10 February 2025, the US President signed two proclamations to reinstate 25% tariff on steel imports and increase tariffs on aluminium imports to 25% from all countries/economies (unless otherwise specified), with effect from 12 March 2025. Details of the measures are set out below:

1. A. Steel:
   • In order to establish certain modifications to the duty rate on imports of steel articles, subchapter III of chapter 99 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) is modified as set out in a subsequent Federal Register notice and any subsequent proclamations regarding such steel articles.
   • Except as otherwise specified, all steel articles imports covered by heading 9903.80.01, in subchapter III of chapter 99 of the HTSUS, shall be subject to an additional 25% ad valorem rate of duty with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption from all countries/economies on 12 March 2025, unless suspended. These rates of duty, which are in addition to any other duties, fees, exactions, and charges applicable to such imported steel articles, shall apply to imports of steel articles from each country/economy as specified.
   • Except as otherwise specified, all imports of derivative steel articles specified in Annex II to this proclamation shall be subject to an additional 25% ad valorem rate of duty, with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on 12 March 2025, unless suspended. These rates of duty, which are in addition to any other duties, taxes, fees, exactions, and charges applicable to such imported derivative steel articles, shall apply to imports of derivative steel articles described in Annex II to this proclamation from all countries/economies. Except as otherwise specified, all imports of derivative steel articles specified in Annex I to this proclamation or in any subsequent annex to this proclamation, as set out in a subsequent notice in the Federal Register, shall be subject to an additional 25% ad valorem rate of duty, with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption on or after the Commerce certification date as specified.
   • Within 90 days after the date of this proclamation, the US shall establish a process for including additional derivative steel articles within the scope of the ad valorem duties.
   • On the date of this proclamation, any product exclusion requests shall not be considered and any product exclusion requests in effect as of that date shall not be renewed. Granted product exclusions shall remain effective until their expiration date or until excluded product volume is imported, whichever occurs first. All existing general approved exclusions shall be terminated as of 12 March 2025.
   • No drawback shall be available with respect to the duties imposed pursuant to this proclamation.
2. B. Aluminium:
   • On 12 March 2025, the relevant tariffs on imports of aluminium articles previously proclaimed are adjusted to increase the respective tariff rates from an additional 10% ad valorem to an additional 25% ad valorem.
   • Except as otherwise provided in this proclamation, all imports of derivative aluminium articles specified in Annex I to this proclamation or any subsequent annex published in the Federal Register pursuant to this proclamation shall be subject to an additional 25% ad valorem rate of duty, with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after the Commerce certification date as specified. For any derivative aluminium article identified in Annex I that is not in Chapter 76 of the HTSUS, the additional ad valorem duty shall apply only to the aluminium content of the derivative article. These rates of duty, which are in addition to any other duties, fees, exactions, and charges applicable to such imported derivative aluminium articles, shall apply to imports of derivative aluminium articles described in Annex I to this proclamation from all countries/economies (except specified), but shall not apply to derivative aluminium articles processed in another country/economy from aluminium articles that were smelted and cast in the US.
   • Any new product exclusion requests shall not be considered, or any such product exclusions in effect as of the date of this proclamation shall not be renewed. Granted product exclusions shall remain effective until their expiration date or until excluded product volume is imported, whichever occurs first. In addition, all general approved exclusions shall be ineffective as of 12 March 2025.
   • Within 90 days after the date of this proclamation, the US shall establish a process for including additional derivative aluminium articles within the scope of the ad valorem duties proclaimed.
   • No drawback shall be available with respect to the duties imposed pursuant to this proclamation.

4.For further details, please refer to the presidential proclamations, the White House's fact sheet and the relevant Federal Register notices:

Presidential Proclamations
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/adjusting-imports-of-steel-into-the-united-states/

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/adjusting-imports-of-aluminum-into-the-united-states/

White House's fact sheet
https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/02/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-restores-section-232-tariffs/

Federal Register notices
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-02-18/pdf/2025-02833.pdf

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-02-18/pdf/2025-02832.pdf

5.For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact us at telephone number 2398 5405.

Yours faithfully,

(Miss Kwany KOU)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry

Note: While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the above information, the Department cannot guarantee this to be so and will not be held liable for any reliance placed on the same.