HS 7208Metals

HS Code for Hot-Rolled Coil / HRC (Chapter 7208)

Q: How does the EU Safeguard TRQ work?

Each origin has a country-specific quarterly quota; imports beyond it pay 25%. Quotas reset each quarter and any residual global quota is redistributed. Booking the ETA into the correct quota window is now a material commercial decision.

Q: Does CBAM apply if I re-export to the EU?

Yes. It is the importer of record who is liable at EU customs entry, not the origin producer. Inward-processing relief only postpones - not eliminates - the CBAM liability if the finished good is released to free circulation.

Q: Which US importers escape Section 232?

Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, EU, UK and Japan have quota or TRQ arrangements. Check the most recent Presidential Proclamation for current status - it has changed several times since 2018.

Hot-rolled coil is the workhorse flat product of the steel industry - the feed for pipe mills, cold rollers, and heavy plate cutters. HS 7208 splits by width (>=600mm), thickness, and whether the coil is pickled. HRC is CBAM-covered, subject to EU safeguard tariff-rate quotas, and hit with 25% Section 232 duties into the US.

Reviewed against WCO HS · WTO IDB · National customs schedules5 authoritative sourcesLast reviewed July 2026

Sample 6-digit codes

Code	Description
7208.10	HR flat products in coils, with patterns in relief, width >= 600mm
7208.25	Pickled HR coil, thickness >= 4.75mm
7208.26	Pickled HR coil, 3mm <= t < 4.75mm
7208.27	Pickled HR coil, thickness < 3mm
7208.36	Other HR coil, thickness > 10mm
7208.39	Other HR coil, thickness < 3mm

Need to check a specific code? Use the free HS code lookup tool.

Typical import duty by market

Market	Duty
European Union	0% MFN 0% but under safeguard TRQ; out-of-quota rate 25%. CBAM certificates from 2026.
United States	25% Section 232 duty on steel from non-exempt origins; some FTA partners on quota.
United Kingdom	0% UK Steel Safeguard TRQs apply; UK CBAM from 2027.
India (BCD)	7.5% Plus 18% IGST; DGTR anti-dumping on selected origins.
Turkey	13% Additional financial duty on select origins under safeguard.

Worked landed-cost example

5,000 MT HRC, FOB Mumbai USD 620/MT, CFR Antwerp EU importer

FOB valueUSD 3,100,000

Freight + insuranceUSD 220,000

CIF valueUSD 3,320,000

EU duty (in-quota)USD 0

CBAM (approx 1.9 tCO2/t × 4,500 t reportable × EUR 80)≈ USD 745,000 from 2026

Transitional landed cost ≈ USD 3.32m; post-2026 ≈ USD 4.07m if origin has no equivalent carbon price.

Run your own numbers in the import duty & tax calculator.

Regulatory checkpoints

· EN 10025 (structural), ASTM A1011 (US commercial/structural), JIS G 3131 - mill test certificate is mandatory.
· EU Steel Safeguard (Regulation 2019/159 as amended): 26 product categories with country-specific quotas.
· CBAM Annex I coverage: 7208 in scope from Q4 2023 reporting.
· US Section 232 (Proclamation 9705): 25% ad valorem on steel imports; Section 301 additions apply on China origin.

Top exporting countries

· China
· Japan
· South Korea
· India
· Turkey
· Russia (sanctioned in EU/US)

Frequently asked questions

How does the EU Safeguard TRQ work?

Each origin has a country-specific quarterly quota; imports beyond it pay 25%. Quotas reset each quarter and any residual global quota is redistributed. Booking the ETA into the correct quota window is now a material commercial decision.

Does CBAM apply if I re-export to the EU?

Yes. It is the importer of record who is liable at EU customs entry, not the origin producer. Inward-processing relief only postpones - not eliminates - the CBAM liability if the finished good is released to free circulation.

Which US importers escape Section 232?

Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, EU, UK and Japan have quota or TRQ arrangements. Check the most recent Presidential Proclamation for current status - it has changed several times since 2018.