Section 232 Steel and Aluminum Tariffs on Derivative Products
Published: 18 September 2025
On the 15 August 2025 the US Government increased the scope of metal derivatives covered by their Section 232 Steel and Aluminium tariffs.
This extended the 50% Global tariffs of listed derivatives by a further 400+ products....
- CSMS # 65936570 - GUIDANCE: Section 232 Additional Steel Derivative Tariff Inclusion Products
- CSMS # 65936615 - GUIDANCE: Section 232 Additional Aluminum Derivative Tariff Inclusion Products
A list of products affected (including the linked HS Codes impacted) is available HERE
Some of the relevant products for the plastics sector that appear in the above list are shown below...
| Moulds/Tools... | |
| 8480.71.8045 | Injection Type Molds For Rubber Or Plastics, Others |
| 8480.79.9010 | Blow Molds For Rubber Or Plastics |
| Plastic Parts... | |
| 3925.20.00 | Doors, Windows And Their Frames And Thresholds For Doors, Of |
| 3926.90.10 | Articles Of Plastics, Others |
| Machines... | |
| 8477.10.30 | Machinery for working rubber or plastics or for the manufacture of products from these materials, not specified or included elsewhere in this chapter; parts thereof: (For manufacturing shoe) |
| 8477.10.40 | Machinery for working rubber or plastics or for the manufacture of products from these materials, not specified or included elsewhere in this chapter; parts thereof: (For use in the manufacture of optical media) |
| 8477.10.90 | Machinery for working rubber or plastics or for the manufacture of products from these materials, not specified or included elsewhere in this chapter; parts thereof: (Other) |
| 8477.90.25 | Machinery for working rubber or plastics or for the manufacture of products from these materials, not specified or included elsewhere in this chapter; parts thereof: (Base, bed, platen, clamp cylinder, ram, and injection castings, weldments and fabrications) |
| 8477.90.8601 |
Machinery for working rubber or plastics or for the manufacture of products from these materials, not specified or included elsewhere in this chapter; parts thereof: (Other Of injection-molding machines) |
It appears to suggest the new HS products are to be covered by the US-UK agreement on steel to reduce the tariff to 25% tariff. This is due to the May agreement.
On the 26th August the President of the VDMA (the German engineering Federation), Bertram Kawlath wrote to Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission) expressing his concerns regarding expansion of US Tariffs on machinery products noting that "30 percent of U.S. machinery imports from the EU are now subject to 50-percent tariffs on the metal content of the product" and stating “approximately 150 new product codes under Chapter 84 have been added to the list of steel derivatives, including those for motors, pumps, injection molding machines, material handling machinery, industrial robots, agricultural and construction equipment, and bearings.”
Perc Pineda, PhD (Chief Economist, PLASTICS - the UK equivilant of the BPF) wrote an article on the 27th August "Adapting Ahead: U.S. Plastics Machinery Faces New Tariff Dynamics" which covered the topic and another on the 29th August. In the artcile on the 29th August he stated "The U.S. plastics industry leans heavily on imported equipment, particularly injection molding machines, many of which are sourced from overseas, though production continues in the U.S. According to 2023 data, imports accounted for 74.5% of domestic shipments, while exports were just 28.9%. This reliance is not a weakness, but a reflection of reality: essential machinery simply is no longer manufactured in the U.S. anymore.”
The BPF are aware that the UK trade team are currently trying to model the implications and engage with the US authorities.
The BPF are maintaining dialogue with UK Government and relevant trade bodies around Europe who are also directly affected.
Useful Links
Overview of UK/US trade in plastics and plastic parts (BPF, 3rd April 2025)
