Customs' Guidance on Aluminum Imports: Know the Country of Smelt and Cast or Pay 200%

Jun. 16, 2025
By: Pietro N. Bianchi

Customs issued CSMS # 65340246, which provides guidance on how to report aluminum articles and derivatives with an unknown country of smelt and cast. Effective June 28, 2025, if importers do not know the country of smelt and/or cast of the aluminum article or derivative, they will be assessed the 200 percent Section 232 duties on imports of Russian aluminum.

Importers/Filers must report the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) code on aluminum articles and derivatives from all countries subject to Section 232 to report the primary country of smelt, secondary country of smelt, or country of most recent cast. Importers/Filers must report “Y” for primary and/or secondary country of smelt. Importers/Filers should report “UN” (unknown) if the country of smelt and/or cast is unknown. Importers/Filers may not report “N” for both primary and secondary country of smelt.

When reporting “UN,” importers will be required to report HTS 9903.85.67 or 9903.85.68, as applicable, and will be assessed the 200 percent Section 232 duties on Russian aluminum. Effectively, importers will be charged the highest Section 232 rate if they cannot provide proof of origin. This prevents bad actors from using ignorance to defraud Customs but also places a higher burden on good-faith importers. If you have questions about Section 232 duties or other trade remedies, do not hesitate to contact an attorney at Barnes Richardson, & Colburn LLP.