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: 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: Derivative steel articles.
- Origin condition: Any origin.
- Controlling note: U.S. note 16(j), in the legal notes to subchapter III of Chapter 99.
The zero-duty half of an ambiguous pair, which is where the audit risk sits
9903.82.21 and 9903.82.20 share an identical article description in the live schedule and differ only in the conditions written into subdivision (j) of U.S. note 16 — and this is the half that adds no duty. That asymmetry matters for review: filing 9903.82.21 when subdivision (j) actually points to 9903.82.20 under-declares by 25 percent of the applicable base, while the reverse error only over-pays.
What a “no change” claim on this line needs behind it
Because no Chapter 99 mapping built from heading descriptions can tell the two apart, a claim on this line should rest on a direct reading of note 16(j) against the article, kept with the entry, rather than on a heading list. “No change” also does not mean duty-free: the ordinary subheading duty still applies, and the article remains a covered derivative steel article, so a later amendment to subdivision (j) can move it. Confirm the filing treatment with a licensed customs broker.
Frequently asked questions
Does 9903.82.21 mean my derivative steel article is duty-free?
No. It means no Section 232 additional duty attaches under subdivision (j) of U.S. note 16; the ordinary subheading duty still applies, which is what “No change” in all three columns means in the Revision 15 text read August 7, 2026. The article also remains a covered derivative steel article, so a later amendment to note 16(j) can change the answer.
How do I document a 9903.82.21 claim?
By recording the reading of subdivision (j) of U.S. note 16 that puts the article on this side of the pair, against the article's ordinary classification and the entry date, because the heading description is identical to the plus-25-percent line at 9903.82.20 and cannot support the claim by itself. Confirm the filing treatment with a licensed customs broker.
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 9903.82.21 (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.