On May 31, 2018, the U.S. President announced an absolute quota on Argentine aluminum imports through a proclamation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. This regulation became effective for all related imports entering the U.S. for consumption or withdrawn from warehouses for consumption starting from June 1, 2018, at 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time.
The regulation specifies through subheadings 9903.85.05 to 9903.85.06 that aluminum products from any listed country are subject to ordinary customs duties within the set annual aggregate quantitative limits. From July 1, 2018, any imports from these countries exceeding 500,000 kg and 30% of the total yearly allocated amount for such country—as detailed on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website—are disallowed.
For updates on quota statuses and remaining amounts, visit the CBP’s quota page at https://www.cbp.gov/trade/quota/tariff-rate-quotas.
Commodity Details:
- Products Covered: Aluminum goods as delineated in the Presidential Proclamation.
- Quota Period: April 1, 2024, to June 30, 2024.
- Quota Opening Date: April 1, 2024, starting at 12:01 AM Local Port time.
Reporting Guidelines:
Entrants must use specific entry type codes for quota merchandise. Additionally, certain HTS classifications must be reported for imported goods under the absolute quota, including 9903.85.05 to 9903.85.06. For products utilizing exclusions, the first HTS should be 9903.85.11 followed by the applicable CH 1-97 HTS code.
Note that once the quota limit is reached, absolute quota merchandise cannot be imported into the U.S. for consumption. Alternate actions include storage in a foreign trade zone or warehouse, exportation, or destruction.
Countries Affected:
- Primarily Argentina.
Special Processing Instructions:
The absolute quota is managed daily, and the release of cargo under this quota is held until processing is complete. For efficient processing, various prerequisites related to entry summary and cargo arrival must be met.
Additional Information:
Updates on quotas are available on the CBP website. For any inquiries related to the quota process, contact details and relevant HTS classifications for GAEs are provided. Notably, significant changes in duty treatments for aluminum products, especially concerning Russia, have been established as of March and April 2023.
2024 Quota Information for Argentina:
The document outlines the annual and quarterly quota limits for unwrought and wrought aluminum products from Argentina, indicating the specific quantities allowed under the absolute quota system.
Changes to GAEs by the Department of Commerce and a list of affected HTS numbers are also mentioned for clarity and compliance purposes.
