Export Growth
April 2, 2026
Trump administration weighs shift to full-value tariffs on aluminum-containing imports
Written by Nicholas Bell
The Trump administration is preparing changes to its steel and aluminum tariff framework that would alter how duties are applied to imported manufactured goods, according to The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg.
The reports indicate the administration is weighing a move away from assessing tariffs based only on the metal content of a product and toward applying duties to the full value of finished goods that contain steel and aluminum.
Shift from content-based tariffs
The Wall Street Journal reported that finished products made with steel and aluminum could face a 25% tariff applied to the entire value of the imported good. Under the current system, derivative products are subject to tariffs of up to 50% that apply only to the value of the steel or aluminum content within a product.
That change would adjust how duties are calculated across a wide range of downstream goods.
The Wall Street Journal reported the proposed approach would replace the existing structure for many derivative goods while leaving higher tariff rates in place for commodity-grade metal products.
Tiered structure under consideration
Bloomberg reported the administration may implement a tiered tariff system rather than a single uniform rate.
Under that framework, some derivative products would remain subject to tariffs of up to 50%, while others would fall under a 25% rate. Bloomberg reported that certain products could face duties below that level depending on classification.
Tariffs would be calculated based on the value of the finished imported product rather than the metal content alone, Bloomberg said. That structure would align with earlier reporting by The Wall Street Journal on the shift in how duties are assessed.
The reports indicate classification will play a larger role in determining tariff exposure, particularly for goods that contain varying shares of steel or aluminum.
Potential cost effects
Although the nominal tariff rate would be lower for some products, the change in methodology could raise the total duties paid on many imports.
The Wall Street Journal’s article said applying tariffs to the full value of a finished good would increase the assessed duty in cases where the metal content represents only a portion of the product’s total value.
That effect would be more pronounced for downstream goods such as automotive components, machinery, and consumer products, where aluminum is one input among several.
Companies have raised concerns about how current tariffs affect sales and profit, particularly where compliance requires detailed calculations of metal content, according to Bloomberg. The proposed changes would reduce that requirement but could shift cost exposure instead.
Policy changes
Both The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg reported the changes follow months of discussion within the administration on how to simplify tariff enforcement.
Importers or manufacturers have said the current system makes it difficult to determine the appropriate duty on complex goods.
Bloomberg said industry groups and companies brought these concerns to officials, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
The Wall Street Journal reported the administration has considered different approaches to revising the tariff structure before settling on a simpler model focused on finished goods.
Tariff policy evolution
The timing of any announcement remains uncertain.
The news comes about a year after the Trump administration’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, which were imposed under the International Emergency Economic Power Act (IEEPA).
The US Supreme Court later invalidated those tariffs in a Feb. 20, 2026, decision that found that using IEEPA authority for broad-based tariffs was not permitted under the statute.
Following the ruling, the administration imposed a separate 10% ad valorem duty rate under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows for temporary duties for up to 150 days.
In terms of derivative inclusion procedures, the most recent petition window, which ran from Sept. 15-29, 2025, has not yet resulted in a determination. That window followed the addition of roughly 200 HTS codes effective Aug. 18, 2025, and came after a June 5, 2025, expansion that added more than 150 aluminum derivative categories.
The delay extends beyond the timelines seen in prior inclusion procedures, during which the Bureau of Industry and Security reviewed petitions, accepted public comments, and issued determinations within a matter of months.
