What is the current Section 232 tariff rate?

The current rate is 25% on all steel, aluminum, and their derivative products (nails, wire, cans, foil, etc.). As of February 2025, all country-specific exemptions were removed, so the 25% rate applies universally regardless of origin.

Were Section 232 tariffs affected by the Supreme Court ruling?

No. The February 2026 Supreme Court ruling struck down IEEPA-based tariffs only. Section 232 tariffs have a separate legal basis (Trade Expansion Act of 1962) and were not challenged or affected by the ruling.

Section 232 (National Security Tariffs)

Q: What is Section 232?

Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 authorizes the President to impose tariffs on imports that threaten national security. It is the legal basis for the 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum that have been in effect since 2018 and remain active in 2026 with no expiration date.

Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (codified at 19 U.S.C. § 1862) authorizes the President to impose tariffs or other restrictions on imports that threaten to impair national security. It is the legal basis for the 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports that have been in effect since 2018 and remain one of the most impactful tariff programs in 2026.

How Section 232 Works

Investigation

The Department of Commerce conducts an investigation (typically 270 days) to determine whether imports of a specific product threaten national security. The investigation considers:

Domestic production capacity and its adequacy for defense needs
Import penetration and its effect on domestic industry
Employment and economic welfare of the domestic industry
Revenue loss from excessive imports

Presidential Action

If Commerce finds a national security threat, the President has 90 days to decide on action. Options include:

Tariffs (the most common choice)
Quotas (quantity restrictions)
Licensing requirements
Negotiations with trading partners

No Expiration

Unlike Section 122 (which expires after 150 days), Section 232 tariffs have no statutory time limit. They remain in effect until the President decides to modify or revoke them.

Current Section 232 Tariffs (March 2026)

Product	Rate	In Effect Since	Exemptions
Steel (all forms)	25%	March 2018	None (all country exemptions removed Feb 2025)
Aluminum (all forms)	25%	March 2018	None (all country exemptions removed Feb 2025)
Steel derivatives (nails, wire, etc.)	25%	Feb 2025	None
Aluminum derivatives (cans, foil, etc.)	25%	Feb 2025	None

Key Changes in 2025-2026

February 2025: All country-specific exemptions (including for Canada, Mexico, EU, Japan, and UK) were removed — the 25% rate now applies universally
February 2025: Coverage expanded to include derivative steel and aluminum products
Post-SCOTUS: Section 232 tariffs were not affected by the Supreme Court ruling (which only struck down IEEPA-based tariffs)

Tariff Stacking with Section 232

Section 232 tariffs stack on top of other tariff programs. A steel product can face:

Authority	Rate
MFN base duty	0-6.5%
Section 232	25%
Section 122	15%
Section 301 (if from China)	7.5-25%
Total	47.5-71.5%

This stacking makes Section 232 particularly impactful for industries that depend on imported metals.

Legal Status

Section 232 has survived multiple legal challenges. The Court of International Trade and the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals have upheld the President's authority to impose tariffs under this statute. The Supreme Court's February 2026 ruling on IEEPA did not question Section 232's constitutionality.

However, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has ruled that U.S. Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum violate international trade rules. The U.S. has rejected these rulings, arguing that national security is a sovereign determination not subject to WTO oversight.

Related: Section 301 Tariffs | Section 122 | Industries Hit Hardest by 2026 Tariffs