July 24, 2026
On July 23, the U.S. Trade Representative finalized a new round of Section 301 tariffs — the outcome of 60 parallel investigations into trading partners’ failure to prohibit imports of goods produced with forced labor. The duties took effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern on July 24, 2026, and they touch essentially every investigated economy’s exports to the United States, subject to a long list of exemptions.
Here is what matters if you buy tin mill products — or the packaging components made from them.
The short version for tinplate buyers
Tin mill products are exempt. The final action excludes “articles and parts of articles subject to tariffs under Section 232.” Tinplate (ETP), tin free steel (TFS), and tin mill derivative products already fall under the Section 232 steel program — so the new Section 301 duties do not stack on top. Your coil and sheet supply chains are unaffected by this action.
Some finished closures are not exempt. Two tinplate-intensive product categories sit outside the Section 232 derivatives list and therefore take the new duty when imported from investigated economies:
- Crown corks and crown caps (HTS 8309.10) — bottle crowns and their parts
- Certain other steel stoppers, caps, and lids (HTS 8309.90.00.85)
Depending on the country of origin, those imports now carry an additional 10% to 12.5% duty. By contrast, steel packaging accessories under the provision recently added to the Section 232 derivatives list (HTS 8309.90.0080) remain outside this action.
The rate structure
The duty a country pays depends on its own forced-labor import regime. Seventeen economies with import prohibitions, commitments, or partial regimes — including Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and India — pay a flat 10%. The European Union and Taiwan pay 10% net of the most-favored-nation rate; Japan, South Korea, and Switzerland pay 12.5% net of MFN. The remaining economies, including China, Brazil, and Vietnam, pay a flat 12.5% — in addition to any Section 301 duties already in place.
Goods of Canada and Mexico entered duty-free under the USMCA are exempt, along with a universal list of raw-material and critical-product carve-outs. Goods already on the water before July 24 escape the duty if entered before July 28.
What it means for packaging supply chains
The pattern of the last several years continues: trade measures keep tightening around finished and semi-finished packaging components even where the underlying steel is spared. If your can or closure program relies on imported crowns or caps, this action changes your landed cost — potentially by double digits — effective immediately.
That is exactly the situation where domestic manufacturing capacity matters. Rayfield Metal Stamping, RSI’s stamping operation, manufactures composite can ends in Pennsylvania, on RSI-supplied steel — USA-sourced whenever available or specified, globally sourced when supply demands. For manufacturers rethinking where their components come from, Rayfield can serve as the domestic manufacturing partner — because security of supply increasingly means making it here, not just diversifying where you import from.
If this action touches your product line and you want to talk through domestic alternatives — or just want help thinking through what your HTS classifications mean under the new structure — contact us. We’re happy to compare notes.
This summary is provided for general information and is not customs, legal, or financial advice. Classifications and duty treatment depend on the specific facts of each entry — confirm with your customs broker or counsel.
Sources: USTR press release (July 23, 2026) · Federal Register Notice (pre-publication) · Global Trade Alert overview
