Official article description
Derivative steel articles as provided in subdivision (j) 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(j); the enumerated scope lives in that note, not in the description above.
How this heading is treated
- Treatment: Additional duty on top of the ordinary subheading rate. Column 1 General reads “The duty provided in the applicable subheading + a duty of 25%”, Column 1 Special reads “The duty provided in the applicable subheading + a duty of 25%”, and Column 2 reads “No change”.
- Metals reached: Derivative steel articles.
- Origin condition: Any origin.
- Controlling note: U.S. note 16(j), in the legal notes to subchapter III of Chapter 99.
Two headings, one description — the note is the only discriminator
This is the one place in the 9903.82 range where the USITC export returns byte-identical article descriptions for two headings at different rates. 9903.82.20 and 9903.82.21 both read “Derivative steel articles as provided in subdivision (j) of U.S. note 16 to this subchapter”, while this heading adds the applicable subheading's duty plus a duty of 25 percent and 9903.82.21 reads “No change”. Any tool, list or spreadsheet that maps Chapter 99 headings by description alone will get one of them wrong.
Where the discriminating text actually lives
The conditions that separate the pair are inside subdivision (j) of U.S. note 16, which has to be read directly against the article. Treat any source that quotes only the heading descriptions — including the summary on this page — as insufficient for a filing decision on this pair, and confirm the treatment with a licensed customs broker. Note also that the additional duty here is additive, unlike the flat 15 percent replacement rate that 9903.82.22 applies to derivative steel of the named origins.
Frequently asked questions
Why do 9903.82.20 and 9903.82.21 have the same article description?
Because the distinguishing conditions live in subdivision (j) of U.S. note 16 rather than in the heading text. The live USITC export for 2026 HTS Revision 15, read August 7, 2026, returns the identical string “Derivative steel articles as provided in subdivision (j) of U.S. note 16 to this subchapter” for both, with 9903.82.20 at the applicable duty plus a duty of 25 percent and 9903.82.21 at “No change”. Read the note to choose.
Is the 25 percent under 9903.82.20 additional or a replacement rate?
Additional. The Column 1 General and Special entries read “The duty provided in the applicable subheading + a duty of 25%”, so the ordinary rate stays in place, and Column 2 reads “No change”. That distinguishes it from 9903.82.22, which replaces the Column 1 rate with a flat 15 percent for derivative steel of the named origins.
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(j) 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 9903.82.20 (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.