Section 232 Pharma Tariffs Live July 31: HTS Updates in HSU 2618

Section 232 pharmaceutical tariffs are now in effect

Effective July 31, 2026, Section 232 duties apply to imports of patented pharmaceutical articles and ingredients. CBP published Harmonized System Update (HSU) 2618 on the same date to implement the required tariff schedule changes. The update contains 174 harmonized tariff records and 591 Automated Broker Interface (ABI) records covering the affected pharmaceutical HTS lines.

This is a forward-looking duty change: entries filed on or after July 31, 2026, for in-scope patented pharmaceutical articles and ingredients must carry the new Section 232 classification and pay the applicable duty. Entries filed before that date are not retroactively covered, but any shipment arriving after the effective date and filed late could face liability if the correct codes are not applied.

ACE CATAIR Appendix PGA also updated

Separately, CBP released an updated draft of the ACE CATAIR Appendix PGA on July 31, 2026. The update adds two new USDA APHIS commodity characteristic qualifiers, AGAR and EXAR, to the PG10 Commodity Characteristic Qualifiers list. The name and definition for category code "406" were also revised in the PG10 Category Codes section. Brokers and software developers filing entries that require USDA APHIS PGA message sets should review the change log and update their systems before the draft becomes final.

What importers and brokers should do

• Pull HSU 2618 into your tariff database immediately and verify that all HTS codes for patented pharmaceutical articles and ingredients reflect the updated Section 232 duty rates before filing any entry dated July 31, 2026, or later.
• Review open purchase orders and in-transit shipments of pharmaceutical products to assess new duty exposure and update landed-cost calculations accordingly.
• If you file USDA APHIS PGA message sets in ACE, check the draft CATAIR Appendix PGA change log for the AGAR and EXAR qualifier additions and the revised "406" category code definition, and coordinate with your ABI software provider on any required updates.
• Direct technical questions about the pharmaceutical HTS updates to the CBP contact referenced in CSMS 69395344, and questions about the PGA appendix to the CATAIR team at CBP.