The US Department of Commerce has expanded the scope of products considered ‘steel or aluminium derivative products’ for the purposes of the steel and aluminium tariffs to 407 new product classifications.
On 10 February 2025, US president Donald Trump issued two proclamations adjusting tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium into the US. A new rate of 25% was set, which was later doubled to 50% on 3 June.
Now, 407 new Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) codes have been added to the list of products that will be subject to the 50% tariff.
The products that, from now on, will be considered steel or aluminium derivative products range vastly, from cutlery to home appliances, and even some vehicles.
Consumer goods such as knives, forks and spoons have all been added to the list, as well as refrigerators, air conditioners, printers, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers and ovens.
On top of this, the list has been expanded to include motorcycles and railway locomotives. Industrial vehicles such as truck trailers, forklift trucks, bulldozers and excavators will also be subject to tariffs.
A further 60 HTSUS codes were not added, with the US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security making the decision not to add them ‘at this time’ because ‘they are subject to other ongoing investigations’.
The only country granted an exemption from the 50% steel and aluminium tariffs is the UK, with steel and aluminium derivative products entering the US from the UK instead subject to 25% tariffs.
This is the result of an executive order issued by Trump in June which began to implement changes outlined in the UK-US ‘Economic Prosperity Deal’ that Trump and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer had agreed the month prior.
