Trump adjusts aluminum import rules with new Section 232 tariff changes

President Trump signed a proclamation on June 1 overhauling the Section 232 national security tariffs on aluminum, steel, and copper imports. The new rules take effect June 8 and run through December 31, 2027, creating a temporary window of reduced duties that reshapes the cost structure for US manufacturers, farmers, and ultimately anyone trading commodities or macro-sensitive assets.

What actually changed

The headline number is a 15% ad valorem duty rate for several product categories that previously faced steeper levies. Agricultural equipment and certain residential HVAC systems and components have been added to this reduced-duty tier, a nod to political pressure from farming states and housing-cost hawks.

Perhaps more consequentially, the threshold for qualifying as “US-sourced” metal content dropped from 95% to 85% by weight. If you’re an importer blending domestic and foreign aluminum, you now have a lot more wiggle room to hit the 10% duty rate instead of paying the full tariff.

The scope of what counts as a “derivative” product under the tariff umbrella also expanded. Aluminum lithographic plates and steel racks are now covered.

Country-specific carve-outs round out the package. The European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, and Mexico can all qualify for lower duty rates under the new framework. For Canadian and Mexican imports covered by the USMCA trade agreement, the 25% duty applies only to the non-US content portion of the product.

Context and what to watch

These adjustments sit within a longer arc of Section 232 tariff policy that began in 2018 during Trump’s first term. The original tariffs imposed 25% duties on steel and 10% on aluminum, justified on national security grounds. Copper was added to the tariff regime in 2025. The June 2026 proclamation represents a tactical recalibration rather than a philosophical shift, loosening the grip in areas where domestic industries were feeling the squeeze from inflated equipment and HVAC costs.

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