CBP now requires country of smelt and cast reporting for certain copper imports
CBP title: GUIDANCE: Section 232 Copper Smelt and Cast Reporting Requirements
This message is from July 15, 2026. Later CSMS messages may have changed it. See the latest trade news
What did CBP announce?
CBP announced new reporting requirements for imports of certain copper articles under Proclamation 11021 and Section 232. Importers must report the primary country of smelt and country of cast, and may report a secondary country of smelt, on the entry summary line for HTSUS 8544.42.10, 8544.42.20, 8544.42.90 and 8544.49.10. The ACE functionality went live in production on July 30, 2026, and importers may use code OTH if the country is not known. The requirement applies to imports from all countries of origin except the United States.
What is Allied's position?
This requirement took effect on July 30, 2026 and applies to entries we file that include the listed copper HTSUS classifications. We report the smelt and cast country data on the entry summary line using the new ACE fields, using OTH when the information is not known. If you import these copper articles, please send us the country of smelt and country of cast for your goods so we can complete the entry summary correctly.
General information, not legal advice.
What does the CBP message say?
The purpose of this message is to provide guidance on the new requirements for reporting the countries of smelt and cast on imports of certain copper articles per Proclamations 11021.
BACKGROUND
On April 2, 2026, the President issued Proclamation 11021, “Strengthening Actions Taken to Adjust Imports of Aluminum, Steel, and Copper into the United States (https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/04/strengthening-actions-taken-to-adjust-imports-of-aluminum-steel-and-copper-into-the-united-states/),” under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1862). The Proclamation requires that importers shall provide to CBP the information necessary to identify the countries where the copper used in the manufacture of copper article imports covered by this proclamation are smelted and information necessary to identify the countries where such copper article imports are cast.
See 91 FR 18201 (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/04/09/2026-06960/strengthening-actions-taken-to-adjust-imports-of-aluminum-steel-and-copper-into-the-united-states) and CSMS 68253075 (https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USDHSCBP-4117593?wgt_ref=USDHSCBP_WIDGET_2).
The functionality for the acceptance of the smelt and cast fields on certain imports of copper articles will be deployed to the certification environment in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) on July 16, 2026. The functionality in production for the acceptance of the smelt and cast fields on certain imports of copper articles will be available in ACE on July 30, 2026.
COPPER REPORTING OF SMELT AND CAST COUNTRIES
Effective July 30, 2026, imports of certain copper articles from all countries of origin (except the U.S.), shall report the primary country of smelt and country of cast, and may report the secondary country of smelt, on the entry summary line for the following HTSUS classifications:
8544.42.10; 8544.42.20; 8544.42.90; and 8544.49.10.
If the primary country of smelt, secondary country of smelt, and/or country of cast are not known, importers may report “OTH” (other).
Refer to the ACE CATAIR Entry Summary Create/Update V109 for the technical reporting instructions for the new Importer’s Additional Declaration Type Code 12 (Copper Smelt and Cast Country Detail).
The ACE CATAIR Entry Summary Error Dictionary V51 was updated with the following errors related to copper smelt and cast:
• 869 COP PRIM SMELT CNTRY CD MISSING
• 870 COP PRIM SMELT CNTRY CD UNKNOWN CNTRY
• 871 COP SEC SMELT CNTRY CD UNKNOWN CNTRY
• 872 COP RECENT CAST CNTRY CD MISSING
• 873 COP RECENT SMELT CNTRY CD UNKNOWN CNTRY
The updated version of the ACE CATAIR will be posted shortly under Draft Chapters: Future Capabilities tab on CBP.gov (https://www.cbp.gov/trade/automated/catair).
For any technical questions regarding this update, please contact your assigned Client Representative.
Questions or concerns should be directed to Entry Summary, Accounts & Revenue Division (ESAR) at esar@cbp.dhs.gov (mailto:esar@cbp.dhs.gov).
For questions regarding Section 232 trade remedies, please contact the Trade Remedy Branch mailbox at traderemedy@cbp.dhs.gov (mailto:traderemedy@cbp.dhs.gov).