Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 allows the President to adjust imports — typically through tariffs or quotas — when the Secretary of Commerce determines that an import threatens to impair U.S. national security. The active 232 actions cover steel and steel products, aluminum and aluminum products, passenger vehicles and parts, and select strategic materials. TariffSignals tracks every notice, modification, exclusion, and CBP CSMS implementation message so importers and counsel see what changed and what to verify next.
Trade attorneys & customs brokersExclusion requests, scope rulings, post-summary corrections, and protest filings tied to 232 entries.
Primary sources monitored
Where Section 232 changes appear first.
Federal Register — Presidential proclamations, Commerce determinations, BIS exclusion rulemakings
Commerce Department / Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) — 232 investigations and exclusion request system
USTR — country-specific implementation announcements and quota arrangements
CBP CSMS messages — operational instructions to the trade community on entry filing, HTS use, and quota administration
U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) — supporting investigations and economic analysis
U.S. Court of International Trade — challenges to 232 application or scope
What TariffSignals shows
Section 232 intelligence on TariffSignals.
What changedEach 232 signal explains the regime change in plain English — new rate, modified country list, scope expansion, exclusion change.
Affected HTS rangesExplicit HTS chapter/subheading ranges so importers can map to their actual entries.
Effective dates & statusEffective / Active / Proposed / Expiring / CBP Guidance — so you know whether a rule is in force or pending.
Country exposureCensus-derived top origin countries for the affected HS categories, so 232 announcements can be sized against actual import flows.
Verification checklistTwo to four specific things to verify with your broker, trade counsel, or compliance system — never legal advice, always issue-spotting.
Source linksEvery signal links back to the primary Federal Register notice, USTR release, CSMS message, or court filing.
Pro access
Pro unlocks the full Section 232 signal feed, verification checklists, exposure intelligence for affected HS categories, per-HS RSS feeds, and client briefs.$149/mo · $1,490/yr · Team (5 seats) $299/mo
Refresh cadenceFederal Register RSS polled every six hours. CBP CSMS messages ingested as they post. Census exposure refresh runs monthly on the fifth day of each month (Census typically publishes the prior month's trade data on a roughly six-week lag).
Source flowFederal Register notice or Commerce determination → article ingest → keyword + agency tagging → signal created and ranked → linked to affected HTS ranges and exposed industries. CBP CSMS messages cross-reference the regime they implement.
Output shapeEach Section 232 signal exposes: plain-English summary, regime (232), affected HTS chapters, effective date, status (Effective / Active / Proposed / Expiring), verification checklist, watch-next, source links, and Census-derived dollar exposure for the affected categories.
What you can do with itGenerate client-ready briefs in one click, wire the per-HS RSS feed (steel HS 7208, aluminum HS 7601, vehicles HS 8703) into Feedly / Inoreader / Slack / email, and pair Section 232 signals with exposure intelligence to size which import flows are actually exposed.
Frequently asked questions
Section 232 — quick answers.
What is Section 232?
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 lets the President impose tariffs, quotas, or other restrictions on imports the Secretary of Commerce determines threaten U.S. national security. The most prominent 232 actions cover steel, aluminum, autos, and select strategic imports.
What products are subject to Section 232 tariffs?
Steel and steel products (HTS chapters 72 and 73), aluminum and aluminum products (HTS chapter 76), passenger motor vehicles and parts (HTS 8703 and related), and select strategic materials. Coverage changes through Presidential proclamations and Commerce determinations.
Who pays Section 232 tariffs?
The U.S. importer of record pays. The 232 duty is collected by CBP at entry, in addition to any applicable AD/CVD or Section 301 duties. Whether the cost is absorbed by the importer, passed to the buyer, or split is a commercial matter.
Are there Section 232 exclusions?
Yes. Commerce / Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) administers an exclusion request system that lets importers request product-specific exclusions when the article is not produced domestically in sufficient quality or quantity. Exclusion grants are time-limited and product-specific.
How are Section 232 tariffs enforced at the port of entry?
CBP enforces Section 232 at entry through entry summary filing. CBP CSMS messages tell the trade community which HTS lines, country indicators, and special duty codes to use. A regulation is not operational until CSMS implements it.
Related regimes
Pair Section 232 with the other monitored regimes.
TariffSignals provides informational analysis for issue-spotting and professional awareness only. It is not legal, tax, customs, or compliance advice. Section 232 tariff treatment, HTS classification, and country-of-origin determinations are complex and fact-specific. Verify with a licensed customs broker or qualified trade attorney before any commercial decision. See our Terms and Privacy policies.