The 2026 restructuring of Section 232 changed how the United States taxes imported steel products. As of April 6, 2026, a product made completely or almost completely of non-US steel is tariffed at 50% of the full customs value of the finished product — not just its steel content, the way the rule worked before. A June 1, 2026 proclamation adjusted the regime, with changes running through December 31, 2027. For anyone importing steel wire, welded mesh, chain-link or fencing into the US, that shifts the landed-cost math.
What changed
| Before (2025 rule) | Now (from April 6, 2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| Tariff base | Steel (metal) content only | Full customs value of the finished product |
| Headline rate | 25% on the steel content | 50% on qualifying non-US-steel products |
| Scope | Steel + derivatives, by content | Broad simplified categories incl. commodity pipe, tube and mill products |
| Duration | — | June 2026 adjustments run through Dec 31, 2027 |
Why it hits wire, mesh and fence hardest
Construction wire, welded mesh, chain-link and temporary fencing are commodity-grade steel products made almost entirely of non-US steel, so they fall squarely in the full-value bracket — and the reduced 10–15% rates the rule created for goods with high US-origin content do not apply to imported Chinese product. On top of Section 232, some categories carry more: steel nails and certain temporary fencing from China sit under long-standing antidumping / countervailing (AD/CVD) orders, and Section 301 China tariffs can apply. These duties stack — 232 + AD/CVD + 301 — rather than replace one another.
The numbers change — verify before you price
Rates, thresholds and the exact product scope (by HTS code) have moved several times in 2026 and are set to keep moving through 2027. Never price an order off a headline figure: confirm the current rate for your exact HTS classification with US Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Register, or your customs broker before you commit. Build the stack with our landed-cost calculator — FOB → CIF → DDP — then drop in the live duty your broker confirms rather than an assumed total.
What buyers are doing about it
With duty now a larger share of the landed cost than the factory price, accurate HTS classification and a clean country-of-origin position matter more than the FOB number. Practical moves we see: lock specifications and container schedules early; get the melt-and-pour country and EN 10204 mill test certificates into the quote package so customs clearance is clean; and for some products, weigh a non-China country of origin — Leeter also manufactures wire and fence at a Vietnam plant — while confirming rules-of-origin eligibility with a broker, since that is a customs determination, not a marketing claim.
Leeter supplies construction wire, mesh and fencing to importers navigating exactly this. Send your product, HTS code and destination port and our export desk will structure a quote around your landed cost, not just the factory price. See our temporary fencing suppliers guide and the 2026 steel demand outlook for the wider sourcing picture.
