Section 232 — metals & autos
Section 232 tariffs are national-security duties on steel, aluminum, copper, their derivative articles, and automobiles. Here is what they are and how they interact with other tariffs.
What Section 232 is
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 lets the United States impose tariffs on imports it finds threaten national security. It currently applies to steel, aluminum, and copper, to a widening list of derivative articles made from those metals, and to automobiles and certain auto parts. Section 232 tariffs apply by product, regardless of the origin country.
How it is applied
A Section 232 tariff is an additional ad valorem charge entered through an HTS Chapter 99 subheading. As of April 6, 2026 (Proclamation 11021), the metals tariffs apply to the full entered value of a derivative article, rather than only the value of its metal content.
How it interacts with other tariffs
Section 232 has specific interaction rules. Goods covered by Section 232 are exempt from the Section 122 emergency tariff. Section 232 autos and auto parts do not stack with the Section 232 metals categories or with Section 122. USMCA-qualifying goods are exempt from Section 122 but are not exempt from the Section 232 metals tariffs — that carve-out was removed on April 6, 2026. Preference programs such as GSP and AGOA do not override Section 232.
Section 232 coverage changes as new proclamations and derivative-article lists are issued. Portigo surfaces the rates in its data as of the page's "rates as of" timestamp; it does not give legal or compliance advice. Confirm specifics against the USITC HTS database or a licensed customs broker.