Several Irish and NI companies have asked me whether the recently-imposed US tariffs on aluminum and steel would impact their products–products that use/incorporate aluminum and steel. Much of the confusion stems from how the tariffs were developed and publicized. The bottom line is that US steel/aluminum tariffs should not impact most Irish or Northern Irish companies.

As for the tariffs, for goods entered, or withdrawn from a warehouse for consumption, on or after March 23, 2018, there will be a (i) 10% ad valorem tariff on defined “aluminum articles” imported from all countries except Canada and Mexico; and (ii) a 25% ad valorem tariff on defined “steel articles” imported from all countries except Canada and Mexico.

Under the tariff proclamation, “aluminum articles” are defined in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) as: (i) unwrought aluminum (HTS 7601); (ii) aluminum bars, rods, and profiles (HTS 7604); (iii) aluminum wire (HTS 7605); (iv) aluminum plate, sheet, strip, and foil (flat rolled products) (HTS 7606 and 7607); (v) aluminum tubes and pipes and tube and pipe fitting (HTS 7608 and 7609); and (vi) aluminum castings and forgings (HTS 7616.99.51.60 and 7616.99.51.70). “Steel articles” are defined at the HTS 6 digit level as: 7206.10 through 7216.50 including ingots, bars, rods and angles), 7216.99 through 7301.10 (including bars, rods, wire, ingots, and sheet piling), 7302.10 (rails), 7302.40 through 7302.90 (including plates and sleepers), and 7304.10 through 7306.90 (including tubes, pipes and hollow profiles).

The tariffs cover unfinished products that would be used an inputs for finished products, and not for products that incorporate or use aluminum or steel. There is a very low volume of imports from Ireland ant the UK under the covered tariff headings. As stated above, the bottom line is that US steel/aluminum tariffs should not impact most Irish or Northern Irish companies.