Official article description
Except for articles classifiable in chapters 72, 73, 74 or 76, articles where the weight of the applicable metal is less than 15 percent of the weight of the imported article, as provided for in subdivision (c) of U.S. note 16 to this subchapter
Transcribed verbatim from the live USITC export for 2026 HTS Revision 15 on Aug 7, 2026. The heading text points to U.S. note 16(c); the enumerated scope lives in that note, not in the description above.
How this heading is treated
- Treatment: No change to the ordinary subheading rate. Column 1 General reads “No change”, Column 1 Special reads “No change”, and Column 2 reads “No change”.
- Metals reached: Aluminum, steel or copper below the weight threshold.
- Origin condition: Any origin.
- Controlling note: U.S. note 16(c), in the legal notes to subchapter III of Chapter 99.
The 15 percent test is a weight calculation you have to be able to show
Two conditions have to hold together. First, the article must not be classifiable in chapter 72 (iron and steel), 73 (articles of iron or steel), 74 (copper) or 76 (aluminum) — a primary metal article cannot use this line no matter how little metal it contains, because those chapters define it as a metal article. Second, the applicable metal must weigh less than 15 percent of the imported article as presented. Because the threshold is weight rather than value, a small dense fastener set inside a light plastic assembly can fail the test while expensive metal trim on a heavy machine passes it.
Which metal is “the applicable metal”
The heading says “the applicable metal,” not “all metal,” so the calculation is run against the metal that brings the article within subdivision (c) of U.S. note 16 in the first place. An article containing both aluminum and steel can therefore need the test run more than once. The calculation, its inputs, and the identification of the applicable metal are the importer's record to produce, and they belong with the entry rather than with the part master.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 15 percent Section 232 de minimis threshold measured by value or by weight?
By weight. The Revision 15 text of 9903.82.03, read August 7, 2026, describes articles “where the weight of the applicable metal is less than 15 percent of the weight of the imported article”. Customs value does not enter the eligibility test. Note that the additional duty on covered derivative articles is separately applied to the value of the metal content, which is a different calculation from this threshold.
Can a steel article in chapter 73 use 9903.82.03?
No. The heading excludes articles classifiable in chapters 72, 73, 74 and 76 by its own terms, so an article of iron or steel in chapter 73 cannot claim the de minimis line even where the steel is a small share of its weight. Those articles are reached by 9903.82.02 or one of the origin-specific lines instead.
How to use this page
A Chapter 99 heading is reported alongside an ordinary Chapter 1–97 classification, never instead of it, so this page is the second half of a two-part answer. Settle the ordinary classification and the country of origin first, then read U.S. note 16(c) against the article, then select the heading. Where a rate threshold is involved, the test runs on the ad valorem equivalent for that entry, which makes it value-dependent rather than a fixed attribute of the part.
For the full 9903.82 map in one table, see Section 232 HTS Codes List & 9903.82 Duty Map, which lists every heading in the range with its treatment and cited subdivision. To be told when the range changes, see Section 232 steel and aluminum tariff alerts. For how a Chapter 99 overlay sits on top of the ordinary duty columns, see how U.S. import tariff layers fit together.
Sources verified for this heading
- USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule lookup for heading 9903.82.03 (retrieved Aug 7, 2026)
- USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule — live export for Section 232 headings 9903.82.01–9903.82.26 (retrieved Aug 7, 2026)
- USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule — completeness probe 9903.82.01–9903.82.99, returning exactly 26 rows (retrieved Aug 7, 2026)
- USITC current-release endpoint — 2026 HTS Revision 15 (retrieved Aug 7, 2026)
- CBP CSMS 68855869 — Further adjusting Section 232 tariffs for aluminum, steel, and copper (retrieved Jul 29, 2026)
- GovInfo PDF / Federal Register 91 FR 34085 — Proclamation 11032 and annexes (retrieved Jul 29, 2026)
Last verified: Aug 7, 2026. The article description and all three duty columns above were read from the live USITC export for 2026 HTS Revision 15 on that date. USITC published four revisions in fourteen days during 2026, so confirm the controlling heading text, the cited U.S. note subdivision, and your entry date in the official source before filing. Informational estimates only. Verify with a licensed customs broker, trade counsel, or CBP ruling before filing.