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Since 2018, Japanese steel faced a 25% U.S. Section 232 tariff.

The Claim

Between 2018 and 2025, the United States imposed Section 232 tariffs of 25% on steel imports from Japan.

Verified by Lenz ·

The Short Version

The core assertion is supported: the United States imposed a 25% Section 232 tariff on steel from Japan starting in 2018. The main caveat is that, from April 2022, Japan received a tariff-rate quota allowing specified volumes to enter duty-free, with the 25% duty generally applying to over-quota imports. So the claim is accurate in broad terms, but it overstates continuity if read as applying to all Japanese steel throughout the entire period.

Caveats

  • From April 1, 2022, Japan was under a tariff-rate quota, so not all Japanese steel faced the 25% duty.
  • The phrase "between 2018 and 2025" is ambiguous and can wrongly suggest uninterrupted blanket coverage for the full period.
  • Policy changes in 2025 altered country-specific arrangements, affecting how broadly the 25% duty applied late in the period.

The Receipts

  1. Adjusting Imports of Steel Into the United States

    Federal Register

  2. Presidential Proclamation Adjusting Imports of Steel into the United States

    Trump White House Archives

  3. Proclamation 9705-Adjusting Imports of Steel Into the United States

    GovInfo

  4. Strengthening Actions Taken To Adjust Imports of Aluminum, Steel, and Copper Into the United States

    Federal Register

  5. Implementing The United States–Japan Agreement

    The White House

  6. Tai, Raimondo Statements on 232 Tariff Agreement with Japan

    United States Trade Representative (USTR)

  7. Section 232 Steel and Aluminum

    Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)

  8. Special Topic: Section 232 and 301 Trade Actions in 2018

    U.S. International Trade Commission

  9. CSMS # 66242844 - Updated Guidance - Implementation of the ...

    U.S. Customs and Border Protection

  10. Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Restores Section 232 Tariffs

    The White House

+ 8 more sources — see the full list on Lenz

Filed Under

JapanSection 232 TariffsUnited States

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