Official article description
Articles of copper and derivative aluminum and steel articles with an ad valorem (or ad valorem equivalent) rate of duty under column 1 less than 15 percent, as provided for in subdivisions (f) and (k) 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(f) and (k); the enumerated scope lives in that note, not in the description above.
How this heading is treated
- Treatment: Flat Chapter 99 rate replacing the ordinary Column 1 rate. Column 1 General reads “15%”, Column 1 Special reads “15%”, and Column 2 reads “No change”.
- Metals reached: Copper articles and aluminum/steel derivatives.
- Origin condition: Any origin.
- Controlling note: U.S. note 16(f) and (k), in the legal notes to subchapter III of Chapter 99.
The 15 percent floor for copper and metal derivatives
9903.82.25 sets a flat 15 percent Column 1 rate for articles of copper and derivative aluminum and steel articles whose ordinary ad valorem or ad valorem equivalent rate is below that level, with 9903.82.26 taking the same articles when the rate already clears it. Column 1 General and Special read “15%” rather than the additive phrasing used elsewhere in the range, so the Chapter 99 rate replaces the ordinary rate; Column 2 reads “No change”.
How to tell it from 9903.82.10, which applies the same 15 percent
9903.82.10 applies an identical 15 percent floor to derivative aluminum and steel articles under subdivision (f) alone. The differences are subdivision (k) and the copper limb: this pair reaches articles of copper, the other does not, and 9903.82.10 carries an exclusion list — 9903.82.12, 9903.82.17 and 9903.85.68 — that this heading does not state. Because the arithmetic is the same on both sides, the note citation is the only thing that reveals the wrong choice.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 15 percent under 9903.82.25 an additional duty?
No. Column 1 General and Special read “15%”, so the Chapter 99 rate replaces the ordinary Column 1 rate for a qualifying article rather than stacking on it, and Column 2 reads “No change”. Verified against the live USITC export for 2026 HTS Revision 15 on August 7, 2026. Because the ordinary rate is below 15 percent by definition here, the heading operates as a minimum effective rate.
9903.82.25 or 9903.82.10 — which 15 percent line applies?
It depends on the subdivisions of U.S. note 16 the article is provided for in. 9903.82.25 requires subdivisions (f) and (k) and reaches articles of copper as well as derivative aluminum and steel articles; 9903.82.10 requires subdivision (f) alone, covers derivative aluminum and steel articles, and excludes 9903.82.12, 9903.82.17 and 9903.85.68. The flat rate is 15 percent either way, so the note citation is the only thing that identifies the right line.
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(f) and (k) 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 9903.82.25 (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.