9903.82.03 Consolidated Metal 232: The Zero-Duty Mixed-Metal Exemption

Key Points

• 9903.82.03 carries a 0 percent additional duty rate under the Consolidated Metal 232 program, effective 2026-04-06.
• This heading applies only to goods whose metal content is less than 15 percent by weight and that are classifiable outside Chapters 72, 73, 74, and 76 of the HTSUS.
• Importers must report the weight of the metal content in kilograms as a second quantity on the entry line.
• Goods entered under 9903.82.03 are explicitly not eligible for the Section 232 exemption at heading 9903.03.06 (the S122 exemption).
• Because the rate itself is zero, the heading functions as an exception or exemption claim within the Consolidated Metal 232 block, not as a duty-imposing provision.

On this page

1. What 9903.82.03 is and who needs to care
2. Product scope: what qualifies for this heading
3. Rate and effective date
4. How 9903.82.03 appears on an entry and stacks with other duties
5. The S122 9903.03.06 exclusion bar
6. What importers should do
7. Key references

The links in this article go to the primary documents: the proclamations, Federal Register notices, and official tariff schedule pages themselves. Read the source.

9903.82.03 is a Chapter 99 exemption heading within the Consolidated Metal 232 regime. It covers finished goods whose metal content is less than 15 percent by weight and that are not classifiable in Chapters 72, 73, 74, or 76 of the tariff schedule. The heading carries a 0 percent additional duty, meaning no extra Section 232 charge is assessed when the heading is properly claimed. It became effective on 2026-04-06 and requires that the metal weight in the article be reported in kilograms as a second quantity on the customs entry.

What 9903.82.03 is and who needs to care

The Consolidated Metal 232 program, reflected in the 9903.82 block of Chapter 99, extended Section 232 trade-remedy coverage to a broad range of metal-containing goods. Within that block, different headings impose duties at varying rates depending on the nature and metal composition of the imported article. 9903.82.03 sits within that block as an exception heading. Rather than adding duty, it confirms that qualifying goods owe no additional Section 232 charge, provided they meet the specific criteria described in the heading text.

Importers who are most directly affected include those bringing in manufactured or finished goods that contain some metal, but where metal is a minority component by weight and the goods do not fall under the dedicated metals chapters of the HTSUS. Think of assemblies, composite articles, or consumer goods that incorporate metal hardware, brackets, or fasteners as incidental components. If those goods previously rode under another 9903.82 subheading and now qualify under this one, the entry treatment changes.

For a side-by-side look at the neighboring zero-duty exemption heading and the rate-bearing heading in the same block, see our articles on 9903.82.01 and 9903.82.02.

Product scope: what qualifies for this heading

Three conditions must all be satisfied simultaneously for an article to be reported under 9903.82.03:

• Metal content below 15 percent by weight. The metal in the finished article, measured by weight, must be less than 15 percent of the total weight of the article. There is no de minimis carve-out below that threshold; the 15 percent figure is the ceiling.
• Classification outside Chapters 72, 73, 74, and 76. The article's base HTSUS classification (the Chapter 1-97 line) must fall outside these four dedicated metals chapters. Chapter 72 covers iron and steel; Chapter 73 covers articles of iron or steel; Chapter 74 covers copper and copper articles; Chapter 76 covers aluminum and aluminum articles. Goods classifiable in any of those four chapters are not eligible for 9903.82.03, regardless of their metal content percentage.
• Coverage under the Consolidated Metal 232 program. The article must otherwise be within the scope of the Consolidated Metal 232 regime as reflected in the 9903.82 block. Confirm the current scope at hts.usitc.gov.

The heading text uses the phrase "Metal <15% by weight, non-ch.72/73/74/76" as shorthand for these combined criteria. Because the facts block does not specify country-of-origin restrictions for this heading, confirm with your broker whether any country-specific carve-outs appear in the current HTSUS notes.

Rate and effective date

The additional duty rate under 9903.82.03 is 0 percent, effective 2026-04-06. Because the rate is zero, entering goods under this heading produces no incremental Section 232 duty. The heading is not a free-pass: the article must genuinely satisfy the classification criteria above, and the entry must be structured correctly. The zero rate simply means that the Consolidated Metal 232 program recognizes this category of goods as outside the duty-imposing tier for the program.

As of the facts date of 2026-08-18, this rate and effective date are current. Always verify the current schedule at hts.usitc.gov before filing entries, as supplemental proclamations can modify Chapter 99 provisions on short notice.

How 9903.82.03 appears on an entry and stacks with other duties

Chapter 99 ride-along structure

Like all Chapter 99 special tariff codes, 9903.82.03 is not a standalone classification. It rides alongside the underlying Chapter 1-97 classification on its own line of the CBP entry summary. A typical entry line structure for a qualifying article would look like this:

• Line 1: the base Chapter 1-97 HTS number, with the standard column 1 or column 2 duty rate.
• Line 2: 9903.82.03, with the 0 percent additional duty, and the metal weight in kilograms entered as the second quantity.

Both lines must appear. Omitting the 9903.82.03 line when the article is within the Consolidated Metal 232 program's scope is an entry error. Conversely, claiming 9903.82.03 when the article does not meet the less-than-15-percent or non-Chapters-72/73/74/76 criteria is also an error and could trigger a rate advance to a duty-bearing heading in the same block.

Stacking with other duties

The 0 percent Section 232 additional duty under 9903.82.03 stacks on top of, but does not eliminate, any other applicable duties. The base column 1 general rate from the Chapter 1-97 classification still applies. Any Section 301 additional duties applicable to the article based on country of origin also continue to apply. 9903.82.03 addresses only the Consolidated Metal 232 layer; it has no effect on other duty programs. Use the CustomsGenius duty calculator to model the combined duty stack for a specific entry.

For a comparison with how exemption claims work in the Section 232 wood products context, see our article on 9903.76.04.

The S122 9903.03.06 exclusion bar

The official heading text for 9903.82.03 states explicitly that goods entered under this heading are not eligible for the Section 232 exemption at heading 9903.03.06 (the S122 exemption). This is a hard bar: even if an article would otherwise qualify for the 9903.03.06 benefit, claiming 9903.82.03 on the same entry forecloses that path.

Importers who currently rely on 9903.03.06 for their entries should evaluate carefully whether their goods fall within the Consolidated Metal 232 scope and, if so, which 9903.82 heading correctly applies. Claiming the wrong combination of Chapter 99 codes carries post-entry correction and penalty risk. If you are uncertain whether 9903.03.06 or 9903.82.03 is the right heading for a given article, confirm the current HTSUS notes at hts.usitc.gov or consult your licensed customs broker.

For context on how valuation choices can affect the duty base that feeds these calculations, see our article on First Sale Customs Valuation.

What importers should do

• Verify the metal content percentage. Obtain bill-of-materials or engineering data that documents the metal weight as a share of total article weight. This documentation supports the less-than-15-percent claim and should be retained as part of your entry records.
• Confirm the base classification is outside Chapters 72, 73, 74, and 76. Work with your customs broker to ensure the Chapter 1-97 classification is correct before adding 9903.82.03 as the ride-along line. A wrong base classification invalidates the 9903.82.03 claim.
• Report metal weight in kilograms as second quantity. The heading requires this reporting on every entry line where 9903.82.03 is claimed. Missing second-quantity data is a reportable error and can trigger CBP follow-up.
• Review entries filed since 2026-04-06. If any entries filed on or after that date covered goods that now appear to qualify under 9903.82.03 but were entered under a different 9903.82 heading, evaluate whether a post-entry correction or protest is appropriate. Confirm with your broker and the CBP guidance for the relevant filing window.

Key references

• Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (USITC): the official, continuously updated tariff schedule including Chapter 99 and all 9903.82 headings.
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection: entry filing guidance, CSMS messages, and post-entry correction procedures.
• Federal Register: proclamations and notices establishing and modifying the Consolidated Metal 232 program.
• White House: presidential proclamations under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act.
• 9903.82.01 Explained: The Consolidated Metal 232 Zero-Duty Exemption: coverage of the neighboring zero-duty exemption heading in the same block.
• 9903.82.02 Consolidated Metal 232: Rate, Scope, and Stacking: the rate-bearing heading adjacent to 9903.82.03.
• 2026 Tariff Code Overview: CustomsGenius reference page for 2026 Chapter 99 codes.