American steel companies Nucor, Steel Dynamics, Cleveland-Cliffs, Gerdau, and Metalllus were among the applicants seeking 50% import duties on "derivative" steel products as part of the new appeal process.
On February 10, Section 232 tariffs on steel imports were restored to the full rate of 25% for all countries. Country exclusions and quotas were no longer in effect as of March 14, 2025, and the product exclusion process was discontinued. While companies can no longer apply for the exclusion of products from Section 232 tariffs, manufacturers of steel and steel derivatives can now request the inclusion of additional products in the tariff base.
The U.
S. Secretary of Commerce was given 90 days to set up a formal process for adding steel derivatives to the Section 232 tariff regime. On May 2, 2025, the Commerce Department released details of the new inclusion process, which provides U.
S. companies with three two-week deadlines for submitting applications each year.
There are almost 500 HS codes under consideration.
Currently, section 232 covers 167 types of steel derivatives. However, only during the first application period, which opened on May 2, the Ministry of Commerce received 35 requests for steel products and 25 for aluminum products. As for steel production, the applicants submitted about 500 HS codes for consideration.
The majority of steel–related inquiries came from five steel producers in the United States - Nucor, Steel Dynamics, Cleveland-Cliffs, Gerdau, and Metalllus. Nucor alone has submitted 223 HS codes, which is the highest figure among all companies.
The Commerce Department has 60 days from the date of publication of each request to make a decision, which means that initial decisions are expected in mid-July.
Launching a process that could expand the scope of US steel import tariff, which was increased by 50% for all countries except the UK on June 4, could push US steel prices higher. If imports of steel products are reduced, demand pressure in the US domestic market is likely to increase.
However, it is important to note that the 50% duty applies only to the steel content in imported metal products. Other tariff regimes, such as "reciprocal" tariffs, will apply to non-steel products.
Laura Hodges, an international analyst of the US steel market and a member of the European Parliament, said: "We will see for the first time how the Ministry of Commerce will respond to these requests next month. The range of products presented was wide, from stainless steel cutlery to industrial robots. Decisions of the Ministry of Commerce may
