[Infographic] Section 232 Tariffs and Retaliatory Actions

Trade Risk Guaranty maps out an infographic of Section 232 tariffs on aluminum and steel and the retaliatory actions by certain countries. Be informed with the latest tariff news if it affects your business.

In the midst of the unpredictable climate of trade wars and new tariffs rising in the news cycle, it can get a little overwhelming to keep track where the tariffs have hit and which countries have hit back with retaliatory tariffs. Back on June 1, 2018, the U.S. imposed 10% tariffs on all aluminum imports and 25% tariffs on steel imports. These tariffs were issued by President Trump with proclamations 9704 and 9705 under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. So, Section 232 allows for actions if an article imported into the U.S. is threatening or impairing national security. Therefore, the Trump Administration determined that steel and aluminum imports were a threat and decided to impose an additional tariff on these commodities.

The infographic below (click the image to view the downloadable PDF), visualizes two main elements of the Section 232 tariffs on aluminum and steel. First, the top portion has a map of where the tariffs have been imposed by the United States, and then all of the countries that either retaliated agreed to quotas or have been exempted. By following the key at the bottom left corner, it indicates which color identifies the action regarding the effects of the tariffs. Second, the bottom portion visualizes the volumes of the retaliatory Section 232 tariffs against the United States from China, European Union, Russia, India, and Turkey.

If you are importing either aluminum or steel, make sure if these tariffs may have an impact on your bond sufficiency which is important to the importing process in order to stay in compliance with Customs.

Click the image for a downloadable PDF.

China Retaliatory Section 232 Tariffs on the U.S.

While there already was an ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China over Section 301 tariffs, China was no exception for the U.S. to impose Section 232 tariffs on its aluminum and steel goods. Just a few weeks later on April 2, 2018, China was not afraid to retaliate back against the U.S. with its own tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum imports. The retaliation was marked with additional tariffs of 25% tariff on 8 items and a 15% tariff on 120 items. The table below breaks down the information of the retaliatory measures and the effective date.

China’s Retaliatory Tariffs on the U.S. Section 232 Tariffs

Retaliatory Section 232 Tariffs on the U.S. from Other Countries

After May 31, 2018, almost all countries of origin were a target to Section 232 aluminum and steel tariffs. However, three countries including South Korea, Argentina, and Brazil agreed to quotas. By that time, Australia was the only country completely exempted from the Section 232 tariffs after reaching a trade deal between the U.S. Then, the wave of retaliation against the U.S. from Mexico, the E.U., Turkey, Canada, Russia, and India hit throughout the summer. While most of those retaliatory measures went into effect, but nearly a year later, both Canada and Mexico were exempted from the tariffs. So, as of today, the count is four countries (China, India, Turkey, and Russia) plus the European Union that have retaliatory measures went into effect. The table below breaks down the information of the countries, retaliatory measures, and the effective date.

Other Retaliatory Tariffs on the U.S. Section 232 Tariffs

If you want to learn more about the Section 232 tariffs on aluminum and steel, check out Trade Risk Guaranty’s tariff news resource page, TRG Talks Tariffs News.