in effect
This is a presidential proclamation (Proclamation 10895, signed February 10, 2025) issued under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, a law that lets the President adjust imports found to threaten national security. It directs changes to the tariffs the U.S. charges on imported aluminum and aluminum-derived products, citing a Commerce Department finding that imports remain high and are hurting domestic production. It orders federal agencies (Commerce, Customs and Border Protection, and the International Trade Commission) to update tariff rules and enforcement to carry out those changes.
Starting 12:01 a.m. Eastern on March 12, 2025, the extra tariff on covered aluminum rises from 10% to 25%. The special deals and exemptions that had let Argentina, Australia, Canada, Mexico, the EU, and the UK avoid or reduce the tariff are ended, so aluminum from those places is now charged the same 25% as most other countries. The tariff is also extended to cover more “derivative” aluminum products (items made from aluminum), and the process that let importers apply for product-specific exemptions is shut down — no new requests, no renewals, and existing general exclusions end March 12, 2025. Aluminum that is from Russia, or that uses primary aluminum smelted or cast in Russia, is subject to a much higher 200% tariff, and importers must report to Customs how much aluminum their products contain; no duty refunds (“drawback”) are allowed on these tariffs.
Companies that import aluminum or aluminum-containing goods into the U.S. — including those in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Mexico, EU countries, and the UK that previously had exemptions — will now pay the higher 25% tariff, and importers of Russian-linked aluminum face a 200% rate. U.S. aluminum producers and downstream manufacturers are the intended beneficiaries, as the document states the goal is to raise domestic production and capacity use. Federal agencies (Commerce, Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. International Trade Commission) must implement the rules, update the tariff schedule, and enforce collection, including penalties for misclassification.