US steel and aluminium tariffs commence 12 March 2025 US EST

The implementation of Section 232 Tariffs on Australian Steel and Aluminium products commenced on 12 March 2025. The additional tariff rate is 25 per cent, at the time of this newsflash, Australia has not obtained an exemption for Australian-made products.

It is important to note that these tariffs apply to steel and aluminium as well as steel and aluminium products, including a range of goods with steel and aluminium components.

Guidance on impacted HSEN (Tariff Codes) can be found here: Aluminium List Steel List

Where goods are not entirely manufactured from steel or aluminium, the requirements at the time of importation are:

  • The customs reporting lines are split into two lines:
    • the value of the goods without the steel or aluminium content
    • the value of the steel or aluminium content – including the weight of the steel or aluminium.
  • If the value of the steel or aluminium content is unknown the goods are reported on a single line and the section 232 duty rate of 25 per cent is applied to the entire value of the goods.

Immediate actions to take:

  • Identify whether the goods you are exporting to the US are classified to a HSEN (Tariff Code) impacted by the additional tariffs
  • Examine Bills of Material and clearly identify the value and weight of the steel and/or aluminium content in the goods
  • Prepare a separate document (or update commercial invoices) to reflect this additional information
  • Ensure full documentation is retained to support steel and aluminium content claims in products in the event of a request from US Customs and Border Protection.

How BDO can help

Our global team of customs and international trade professionals can provide support such as:

  • Identifying the correct HSEN (Tariff Code) that applies to exported goods
  • Preparation of documentation templates
  • Strategic review of customs valuation of goods.
Contact us.