Overview

• The Bureau of Industry and Security published the changes in the Federal Register, making the duties effective immediately and catching many importers off guard with no carve-out for goods already in transit.
• The 50% duty applies to the steel and aluminum content of newly covered goods, while the non‑metal portion remains subject to existing country‑specific rates.
• Newly affected items range from wind turbines, mobile cranes, bulldozers and railcars to appliances, auto and EV parts, furniture components, compressors, pumps and metal packaging used for cosmetics and personal care.
• Identification and compliance are complicated by a list issued only as 10‑digit customs codes, prompting confusion across supply chains and heavier data‑gathering demands on importers and brokers.
• Analysts estimate the tariffs now touch roughly $320 billion in imports and could lift the overall effective tariff rate, as steelmakers applaud the move, automakers seek exclusions, and Treasury expects substantially higher revenue to help reduce federal debt.