Aluminum from Mexico New ‘Smelt and Cast’ Requirement

Effective July 10, 2024, U.S. Customs will require the “country of smelt” and the “country of most recent cast” for imports of certain aluminum articles that are products of Mexico. A certificate of analysis must accompany all covered products.

Products that report primary country of smelt, secondary country of smelt, or country of most recent cast as China, Russia*, Belarus, or Iran will face additional Section 232 duties of 10% by the application of Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S. (HTSUS) numbers 9903.85.71 & 9903.85.72.

Exempt from duty are products of Mexico provided that such aluminum products do not contain primary aluminum for which the reported primary country of smelt, secondary country of smelt, or country of most recent cast is China, Russia, Belarus, or Iran.

Read more about the Section 232 Action for Certain Aluminum Products:  Adjusting Imports of Aluminum Into the United States

* A 200 percent ad valorem tariff shall continue to apply to aluminum articles and derivative aluminum articles that are products of Mexico to the extent such articles contain any primary aluminum that is smelted or cast in Russia.

Definitions

“Primary country of smelt” is defined as the country where the largest volume of new aluminum metal is produced from alumina (or aluminum oxide) by the electrolytic Hall-Héroult process.

“Secondary country of smelt” is the country where the second largest volume of new aluminum metal is produced from alumina (or aluminum oxide) by the electrolytic Hall-Héroult process.

“Country of most recent cast” refers to the country where the aluminum (with or without alloying elements) was last liquified by heat and cast into a solid state. The final solid state can take the form of either a semi-finished product (slab, billets or ingots) or a finished aluminum product.

HTSUS Subject to Section 232

Aluminum

(i) unwrought aluminum provided for in heading 7601:

(ii) bars, rods and profiles provided for in heading 7604; wire provided for in heading 7605;

(iii) plates, sheets and strip provided for in heading 7606; foil provided for in heading 7607;

(iv) tubes, pipes and tube or pipe fittings provided for in heading 7608 and 7609;

(v) castings and forgings of aluminum provided for in subheading 7616.99.51.

Derivative Aluminum Products

(A) stranded wire, cables, plaited bands and the like, including slings and similar articles, of aluminum and with steel core, not electrically insulated; the foregoing fitted with fittings or made up into articles (described in subheading 7614.10.50);

(B) stranded wire, cables, plaited bands and the like, including slings and similar articles, of aluminum and not with steel core, not electrically insulated; the foregoing comprising electrical conductors, not fitted with fittings or made up into articles (described in subheading 7614.90.20);

(C) stranded wire, cables, plaited bands and the like, including slings and similar articles, of aluminum and not with steel core, not electrically insulated; the foregoing not comprising electrical conductors, not fitted with fittings or made up into articles (described in subheading 7614.90.40);

(D) stranded wire, cables, plaited bands and the like, including slings and similar articles, of aluminum and not with steel core, not electrically insulated; the foregoing fitted with fittings or made up into articles (described in subheading 7614.90.50);

(E) bumper stampings of aluminum, the foregoing comprising parts and accessories of the motor vehicles of heading 8701 to 8705 (described in subheading 8708.10.30); and

(F) body stampings of aluminum, for tractors suitable for agricultural use (described in subheading 8708.29.21).