Executive summary
On August 6, 2026, the Bureau of Industry and Security published Federal Register notice 2026-15961 proposing the addition of 14 further derivative articles to the existing Section 232 aluminum, steel, and copper tariff framework at proposed rates that are generally 25 percent (with the exceptions described below). The public-comment window opened August 6, 2026, and closed at 11:59 PM Eastern on August 27, 2026 at regulations.gov docket BIS-2026-0331 (XRIN 0694-XC166). No deadline is set for the final decision, and we do not forecast one.
This page is the plain-English reference on every one of the 14 proposed articles: the plain-language description as it appears in the Federal Register notice, the HTS codes the notice names for it, its proposed rate (per article: mostly 25 percent, 15 percent all-in including MFN for agricultural trailers, 50 percent on the container value only for filled steel containers, each replacing rather than stacking on any Section 232 rate in force), and the downstream-industry context that determines who ultimately pays. The notice is a proposal; when the final rule publishes, verify each code against it directly and coordinate the ACE entry-summary update with your customs broker.
The three highest-volume downstream categories in the 14 are insulated electric conductor cables at HTSUS 8544 (universal construction, industrial, and infrastructure consumption), heat-exchange-unit parts at HTSUS 8419 (industrial process cooling and HVAC aftermarket), and the three trailer sub-categories at HTSUS 8716 (trucking, agricultural equipment, industrial-gas logistics). The narrowest but highest-margin-impact category is aluminum powder at HTSUS 7603, which affects aerospace-grade coatings and additive-manufacturing feedstock supply chains.
What a Section 232 derivative article is
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 at 19 U.S.C. § 1862 authorizes the President to adjust imports of an article the Secretary of Commerce finds threaten to impair national security. Presidential Proclamation 9705 and Proclamation 9704 (both March 8, 2018) invoked Section 232 to impose 25 percent tariffs on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum imports, followed by rounds of adjustment and expansion. Presidential Proclamations 10895 and 10896, issued February 10, 2025, set up a rolling derivative-article inclusion framework; Proclamation 11021 (effective April 6, 2026) terminated that framework and moved the duty to the full customs value at annex rates (now 50 percent for Annex I-A, 25 percent for Annex I-B and, by default, Annex I-C, and a temporary 15 percent for Annex III, as revised by Proclamation 11032 effective June 8, 2026). Federal Register notice 2026-15961 is a proposal to add articles under the Commerce and USTR authority that Proclamation 11021 provides, not a filing under the terminated inclusion framework.
A derivative article is an imported product that contains steel, aluminum, or copper as a material input or component, but which is not itself covered by the primary steel/aluminum/copper HTSUS chapters (72 iron and steel, 73 steel articles, 74 copper, 76 aluminum). The theory of derivative-article coverage is that if downstream articles are not subject to the same Section 232 duty as the primary metal, importers arbitrage the tariff by importing the derivative form instead of the raw metal, defeating the national-security rationale of the primary tariff. The 14 articles proposed in notice 2026-15961 are exactly this category: finished or semi-finished products in HTSUS chapters 27, 28, 29, 76, 83, 84, 85, 87 and 92 (for chapters 27-29, steel containers imported filled with those goods) that contain material amounts of steel, aluminum, or copper.
Before April 6, 2026, the inclusion process was administered by BIS under 15 CFR Part 705 and Proclamations 10895 and 10896. Under Proclamation 11021, an addition is made by a Commerce and USTR finding announced in a Federal Register notice; Commerce and USTR may (as with this notice) seek public comment first, but are not required to, and an inclusion applies from the date of the finding or the first practicable date set in the notice. CBP then issues a CSMS operational message specifying the Chapter 99 HTSUS subheading (since April 6, 2026, Section 232 is reported under 9903.82.01 through 9903.82.26, with the default annex rates in 9903.82.02 through 9903.82.17; 9903.85.67 and 9903.85.68 survive only for the 200 percent duty on Russian aluminum under Proclamation 10522, and the older 9903.81 and other 9903.85 subheadings no longer apply) that ACE entry summaries must include to trigger the additional duty at deposit.
The 14 proposed articles
Each of the fourteen entries below lists the article label as it appears in the Federal Register notice, its 4-digit HTSUS heading with the exact codes the notice names, and its proposed Section 232 rate. Nothing here is in force until BIS publishes a final rule, which can change the list.
| # | Article | HTSUS heading(s) and named codes | Proposed rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aluminum powder Aluminum powders of non-lamellar structure | 7603 (named: 7603.10.0000) | 25% |
| 2 | Brass-wind musical instruments and parts Brass-wind musical instruments (trumpets, trombones, etc.) and parts | 9205, 9209 (named: 9205.10.0000 (current HTS: 9205.10.0040, 9205.10.0080), 9209.99.4080) | 25% |
| 3 | Welding-machine parts Parts of welding machines and apparatus | 8515 (named: 8515.90.2000) | 25% |
| 4 | Floor safes Floor safes and strong-boxes | 8303 (named: 8303.00.0000) | 25% |
| 5 | Electric conductor cables Insulated electric conductor cables | 8544 (named: 8544.49.2000, 8544.49.3040, 8544.49.3080, 8544.60.4000) | 25% |
| 6 | Fire extinguishers Fire extinguishers, charged or not | 8424 (named: 8424.10.0000) | 25% |
| 7 | Heat-exchange-unit parts Parts of heat-exchange units | 8419 (named: 8419.90.3000) | 25% |
| 8 | Hydraulic engine parts Parts of hydraulic engines and motors | 8412 (named: 8412.90.9005) | 25% |
| 9 | Mobile lifting frames on tires and straddle carriers Mobile lifting frames on tires and straddle carriers | 8426 (named: 8426.12.0000) | 25% (Annex I-C mobile-equipment default) |
| 10 | Other self-propelled cranes and mobile lifting frames Other self-propelled cranes and mobile lifting frames | 8426 (named: 8426.41.0090) | 25% (Annex I-C mobile-equipment default) |
| 11 | Tanker trailers Tanker trailers and semi-trailers | 8716 (named: 8716.31.00) | 25% |
| 12 | Agricultural trailers Self-loading or self-unloading trailers for agricultural purposes | 8716 (named: 8716.20.00) | 15% all-in incl. MFN (Annex III maximum; MFN not modeled) |
| 13 | Other trailers Other trailers and semi-trailers not elsewhere specified | 8716 (named: 8716.40.00) | 25% |
| 14 | Filled steel containers Steel containers filled with propane, oxygen or propene (the notice names the contents codes 2711.12.0020, 2804.40.0000, 2901.22.0000); the proposed duty applies to the value of the steel container only, not the contents | 2711.12.0020, 2804.40.0000, 2901.22.0000 (contents codes named in the notice; duty on the steel container value only, not the contents) | 50% on container value only |
For the interactive equivalent that accepts full 10-digit HTSUS codes and returns a hit/no-hit against the 14, use the free HTS-code checker. For per-article inclusion-rebuttal templates to file directly with BIS, see the 14 inclusion-rebuttal templates.
HTS mapping caveats
The codes shown above are the codes the notice names. Three caveats still apply. First, the notice is a proposal: the final rule can include or exclude codes or change rates. Second, a named statistical line can be retired or split: the notice names 9205.10.0000, which the current HTS splits into 9205.10.00.40 and 9205.10.00.80, and TariffWatch matches both. Third, the historical BIS Section 232 rulemaking pattern includes scope adjustments between the proposal and the final rule based on the public-comment record.
The safe operational posture for an importer with codes plausibly on the list is (a) check every full 10-digit code against the checker, (b) pull the current Column 1 MFN duty, Section 301 status, and any AD/CVD orders on each candidate 8-to-10-digit code from your customs broker's Entry Summary Query interface or the CBP HTS search on the USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule site, (c) model the compound rate scenario with the article's proposed Section 232 rate replacing any Section 232 rate in force, and (d) revisit the model against the final rule annex the day it publishes. Steps (a) through (c) can happen now; step (d) is the operational trigger for cash-deposit ACE entry updates.
How the proposed rates stack with MFN, Section 301, and AD/CVD
Section 232 duties are ad valorem and are applied on the entered customs transaction value under 19 U.S.C. § 1401a. The Section 232 duty is additive to the Column 1 MFN duty for the underlying HTSUS code, and further additive to any applicable Chapter 99 subheadings that impose Section 301 (China 7A/List 3/4A) duties, antidumping orders, or countervailing duty orders. On a Chinese-origin steel derivative under HTSUS 8544 (electric conductor cables), the compound rate at the port of entry can look like: 3.5 percent Column 1 MFN plus 25 percent proposed Section 232 additive plus 25 percent Section 301 additive plus any AD order on the specific product, for a compound total in the 55-to-80 percent range before AD/CVD.
The compound rate is not applied in a stacked-percentage-of-percentage sense; each Chapter 99 subheading applies to the same underlying transaction value. On a $100,000 entry the arithmetic works out to $3,500 MFN plus $25,000 Section 232 plus $25,000 Section 301, for a $53,500 duty deposit on the base rate stack before AD or CVD add-ons. The order of application matters for AD/CVD interaction on specific products; consult your customs broker for the entry-line arithmetic on your specific merchandise.
The notice proposes the 14 articles generally at 25 percent (clause (3) of Proclamation 11021), with cranes and lifting frames at the Proclamation 11032 mobile-equipment rates, agricultural trailers at 15 percent, and filled steel containers at 50 percent on the container value only. The final rule can retain, adjust, or vary those rates. The June 1, 2026 proclamation (11032) did not set a single 50 percent rate; it revised the annex lists and added the Annex I-C mobile-equipment rates, effective June 8, 2026. Model more than one scenario (for example 25 percent and 50 percent) in your duty impact calculator run so the sensitivity is transparent before the final rule publishes.
Effective-date mechanics and in-transit treatment
The Federal Register final rule publishes a specific effective date for the new duty at entry summary. Historical BIS Section 232 practice has varied. The 2018 Proclamation 9705 steel tariff was effective on the March 23, 2018 date named in the proclamation, with no in-transit exemption. The February 8, 2020 Proclamation 9980 derivative-article expansion (fasteners, nails, tacks) was effective February 8, 2020 with a narrow exception for merchandise laden aboard vessel before the effective date. The current-framework rule can go either way and the final rule text itself is the controlling reference.
The operational path is: (i) the final rule publishes in the Federal Register with a named effective date; (ii) CBP publishes a CSMS message specifying the Chapter 99 subheading(s) applicable to each new derivative-article HTSUS code and the treatment of in-transit merchandise; (iii) your customs broker updates the ACE entry-summary filing template to include the new Chapter 99 subheading and to route the merchandise through the applicable cash-deposit posture. Coordinate this workflow with your broker in advance of the final-rule publication date so the operational lag between rule publication and updated ACE entries is measured in hours rather than weeks.
Downstream-industry impact by article
Not every one of the 14 articles carries equal downstream impact. Some categories affect near-universally consumed inputs (electric conductor cables, heat-exchange parts) and drive material construction, industrial, and infrastructure cost adjustments. Others are concentrated in specific vertical markets (aluminum powder, brass instruments, floor safes) and the pass-through is contained to a narrow customer base. The table below documents the primary downstream buyers and the expected impact pattern for each category, informed by the historical Section 232 pass-through-rate literature published by the USITC on prior tariff rounds and by BIS's own economic-impact analysis referenced in the notice.
| Article | Primary downstream buyers | Impact notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminum powder | Aerospace coatings, additive-manufacturing feedstock, thermite reactions, specialty pigments. | Specialty industrial input with narrow domestic substitute at aerospace-grade purity. |
| Brass-wind musical instruments and parts | Musical instrument retail (trumpets, trombones, tubas, French horns). | Consumer-facing pass-through likely; domestic manufacturing limited to a small number of premium U.S. instrument makers. |
| Welding-machine parts | MIG, TIG, and stick welding machine parts. | Downstream impact on shipbuilding, construction, structural steel fabrication, and pipeline welding. |
| Floor safes | Commercial and residential floor safes and strong-boxes. | Concentrated impact on jewelry retail, cannabis cash-management installations, hospitality security procurement. |
| Electric conductor cables | Insulated electric conductor cables (power, communications, building wire). | Broadest downstream footprint of the 14. Every construction and industrial installation consumes wire and cable under HTSUS 8544. |
| Fire extinguishers | Portable fire extinguishers for commercial, residential, and vehicle installation. | Small-business commercial installer market. Regulatory-mandated purchases are inelastic; pass-through near-total. |
| Heat-exchange-unit parts | Parts of heat-exchange units including shell-and-tube exchangers. | Industrial process cooling, HVAC commercial installations, data-center cooling. |
| Hydraulic engine parts | Parts of hydraulic engines, motors, pumps, and cylinders. | Aftermarket-parts pass-through to construction equipment, agricultural equipment, and industrial hydraulic press applications. |
| Mobile lifting frames on tires and straddle carriers | Mobile lifting frames on tires and straddle carriers. | Port-container terminal operators and intermodal-freight installations are the primary buyers. |
| Other self-propelled cranes and mobile lifting frames | Other self-propelled cranes and mobile lifting frames. | Construction general contractors, oil-and-gas services, industrial rigging operations. |
| Tanker trailers | Tanker trailers and semi-trailers for liquid transport. | Trucking-fleet capital-equipment cost increases. Delayed pass-through as fleets replace units. |
| Agricultural trailers | Self-loading trailers for agricultural purposes (grain carts, silage wagons). | Farm-equipment dealer channel. Pass-through into grain-hauling and dairy-forage operations. |
| Other trailers | Other trailers and semi-trailers not elsewhere specified. | Construction dump trailers, flatbeds, specialty industrial trailers. Broad small-business impact. |
| Filled steel containers | Steel containers filled with propane, oxygen or propene (notice contents codes 2711.12.0020, 2804.40.0000, 2901.22.0000). | Industrial and consumer gas cylinders (propane tanks, oxygen and propene cylinders). The proposed 50 percent applies to the container value only, not the gas. |
The USITC's Publication 5405 Economic Impact of Section 232 and 301 Tariffs on U.S. Industries (March 2023) documented the historical downstream pass-through rate on prior Section 232 rounds. The report found near-total pass-through of Section 232 tariffs to U.S. downstream purchasers, and material downstream price impact on steel-and-aluminum-intensive manufacturing in the years following the 2018 tariff imposition. The 14 derivative articles in this notice are expected to follow a similar pass-through pattern in the categories where U.S. domestic production is not price- or volume-competitive with the imported alternative on the timeline the proposed rule contemplates.
Post-comment mitigation paths
The August 27, 2026 comment window has closed. The mitigation paths that remain available to a U.S. importer after the comment window closes are documented in detail on what happens if you miss the BIS comment deadline: (a) country-of-origin substantial-transformation restructuring under CBP's longstanding substantial-transformation test, which can shift origin off the Section 232 scope for prospective entries; (b) first-sale valuation under 19 CFR Section 152.103(a) on qualifying multi-tier transactions, which reduces the dutiable base against which the Section 232 duty is calculated; (c) duty drawback under 19 U.S.C. Section 1313 on exported or destroyed merchandise, generally at 99 percent of duties paid; and (d) narrowly, judicial review at the Court of International Trade under 5 U.S.C. Section 706, which has been historically unsuccessful but remains a channel for nine-figure duty exposure with a plausible procedural argument.
None of these is a quick fix. Country-of-origin restructuring is a 6-to-18 month commercial project. First-sale valuation is best set up in advance with a CBP advance ruling under 19 CFR Part 177. Drawback programs require year-round records discipline and a break-even at approximately $100,000 in annual recoverable duty. Judicial review costs six figures at a minimum. The right combination depends on the specific product line, the entry volume, and the commercial pass-through capacity to downstream buyers.
Frequently asked questions
What is Federal Register notice 2026-15961?
Federal Register notice 2026-15961 is the Bureau of Industry and Security Request for Public Comments on the Proposed Implementation of Duties on Additional Aluminum, Steel, and Copper Derivative Articles, published August 6, 2026. It proposes bringing 14 additional HTSUS derivative headings under the existing Section 232 tariff framework at proposed rates (generally 25 percent). The public-comment window closed at 11:59 PM Eastern on August 27, 2026 at regulations.gov docket BIS-2026-0331 (XRIN 0694-XC166). Commerce has not announced when it will decide; there is no fixed deadline.
What is the proposed tariff rate on the 14 derivative articles?
There is no single rate for all 14. The notice points each article to a rate set by the Section 232 proclamations: most articles at 25 percent of full customs value (Proclamation 11021 clause (3)); the two crane / mobile-lifting-frame articles at the Proclamation 11032 Annex I-C mobile-equipment default of 25 percent; agricultural trailers at 15 percent all-in, meaning Column 1 MFN plus Section 232 equals 15 percent (Proclamation 11021 clause (5), so the Section 232 part is 15 percent minus the MFN rate); and filled steel containers (propane, oxygen or propene) at 50 percent on the value of the steel container only, not the contents. If finalized, the article rate replaces, and does not stack on, any Section 232 rate already in force on the code. Outside Annex III it is in addition to the Column 1 MFN duty, any Section 301 duties on Chinese-origin goods, and any antidumping or countervailing duty orders. The table below shows the rate for each article.
Are the 14 HTS mappings on this page authoritative?
The codes shown here are the HTS codes Federal Register notice 2026-15961 itself names for each article (for example 8412.90.9005 for hydraulic engine parts), next to the 4-digit heading they sit in. Where a named statistical line has since been split, we show the current lines (9205.10.0000 is now 9205.10.00.40 and 9205.10.00.80). The notice is a proposal, not a final rule: the final rule can add, drop or change codes and rates. Verify every code against the final rule when it publishes and consult your customs broker before making import decisions.
When does the final rule take effect on the 14 derivative articles?
BIS has not published the final rule as of the publication date of this page. No statute or proclamation sets a deadline for that decision, and we do not forecast one. Any final notice itself sets the effective date; some rules take effect on publication and some carry a short in-transit transition period.
How do I check whether my HTS codes are on the list?
Paste your full 10-digit HTSUS codes into the free TariffWatch HTS checker at /tariffwatch/hts-checker for an instant match against the HTS codes the notice names for the 14 articles. A named code is a hit; a shorter code that also covers codes the notice does not name gets an "enter the full 10-digit code" prompt and no proposed rate. The checker deep-links hits into the matching inclusion-rebuttal template.
Which of the 14 articles most affects downstream U.S. manufacturers?
The heaviest downstream-impact categories are electric conductor cables (HTSUS 8544), fire extinguishers (HTSUS 8424), and hydraulic engine parts (HTSUS 8412.90.9005, heading 8412 only). Aluminum powder at HTSUS 7603 has narrow but high-impact use in aerospace coatings and additive-manufacturing feedstock. The trailer categories at HTSUS 8716 flow through to trucking, agricultural, and industrial gas transport.
Are drawback and first-sale valuation available on the new derivative duties?
Drawback under 19 U.S.C. Section 1313 is generally available on Section 232 duties absent a specific carve-out in the operative Presidential proclamation. First-sale valuation under 19 CFR Section 152.103(a) is available to qualifying multi-tier transactions on all merchandise regardless of Section 232 status. Confirm both with your customs broker against the final rule and any applicable CBP CSMS operational guidance before relying on them.
What happens to entries already in transit when the final rule publishes?
The final rule itself specifies the treatment of in-transit merchandise. Historical BIS Section 232 rules on new inclusions have varied. Assume the earlier of the two treatments and plan cash-deposit ACE entry updates with your customs broker as soon as the final rule text publishes.
References and primary sources
- Federal Register notice 2026-15961, BIS request for public comments on proposed inclusion of 14 additional derivative articles, published Aug 6, 2026.
- Regulations.gov docket BIS-2026-0331 (XRIN 0694-XC166).
- Trade Expansion Act of 1962 Section 232, 19 U.S.C. § 1862.
- Customs transaction value, 19 U.S.C. § 1401a.
- BIS Section 232 regulations, 15 CFR Part 705.
- CBP Section 232 program page, cbp.gov/trade/programs-administration/entry-summary/232-tariffs-aluminum-steel.
- USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule search, hts.usitc.gov.
- USITC Publication 5405, Economic Impact of Section 232 and 301 Tariffs on U.S. Industries (March 2023).
- Duty drawback statute, 19 U.S.C. § 1313.
- First-sale valuation, 19 CFR § 152.103.
- Country-of-origin advance rulings, 19 CFR Part 177.
- BIS Federal Register agency page, federalregister.gov/agencies/industry-and-security-bureau.
Related TariffWatch resources
- HTS-code checker — paste 10-digit HTSUS codes for an instant match against the 14.
- 14 inclusion-rebuttal templates — one template per article, with a $99 concierge drafting-plus-filing option per article.
- What happens if you missed the BIS comment deadline — post-comment mitigation paths in detail.
- US trade regulatory calendar — every US trade-regulatory deadline for the next 90 days.
- Duty impact calculator — model the 25 vs 50 percent scenarios and the country-of-origin restructuring alternatives.
- Glossary — HTSUS, Chapter 99, substantial transformation, first sale, drawback, and other terms used here.
Author
Andy Gaber is the founder of Digital Empire Holdings LLC and the author of the TariffWatch, EntryProof, and PixelProof compliance-intelligence tools. TariffWatch reference pages are written from primary-source review of Federal Register notices, regulations.gov dockets, CBP CSMS operational guidance, and USITC economic-impact publications. See the founder's /about page for background.
Editorial and corrections policy
This guide is maintained by the Digital Empire Regulatory Research Team and covers the current post-February-2025 U.S. Section 232 framework. State consumer-protection channels, non-U.S. customs frameworks, and Section 301 tariffs are out of scope. Every claim is cited to a primary source. Corrections are posted to /corrections within one business day of confirmation. Editorial standards are at /editorial-policy.
Nothing on this page is customs classification advice under 19 CFR Part 111 or legal advice. TariffWatch is a data and workflow tool, not a licensed customs broker and not a filer of record. Verify every regulatory citation against the linked primary source, and consult your customs broker or trade attorney before making import decisions on the basis of any content in this guide. Attorney review of the specific mitigation-path recommendations is pending as of publication; this guide is a v0 disclosure.