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HS 7208.51Metals

HS Code for Heavy Steel Plate (7208.51 / 7208.52)

Heavy plate above 10mm is a distinct steel sub-market from HRC coil. Shipbuilding (Grade A/B/D/E), pressure-vessel (SA516), and offshore wind (S355 normalised) plate command significant premiums. All plate is CBAM Annex I.

Reviewed against WCO HS · WTO IDB · National customs schedules4 authoritative sourcesLast reviewed July 2026

Sample 6-digit codes

CodeDescription
7208.51HR plate, not in coils, t > 10mm
7208.52HR plate, not in coils, 4.75-10mm
7208.53HR plate, not in coils, 3-4.75mm
Need to check a specific code? Use the free HS code lookup tool.

Typical import duty by market

MarketDuty
European Union
0%
MFN + safeguard TRQ + CBAM 2026.
United States
25%
Section 232.
India (BCD)
7.5%
Japan
0%

Worked landed-cost example

1,500 MT S355J2+N plate for wind tower, FOB Rotterdam USD 780/MT, DAP Esbjerg

FOBUSD 1,170,000
Freight + short-sea + haulageUSD 55,000
Landed intra-EUUSD 1,225,000
DutyUSD 0 (intra-EU)
Landed ≈ USD 1.23m. CBAM does not apply intra-EU.
Run your own numbers in the import duty & tax calculator.
Regulatory checkpoints
  • · IACS classification society approval for shipbuilding plate (DNV, LR, ABS, etc.).
  • · EN 10025 for structural plate; EN 10028 for pressure-vessel plate.
  • · CBAM iron & steel scope with plant-specific EAF vs BOF emissions data.
Top exporting countries
  • · China
  • · South Korea
  • · Japan
  • · India
  • · Ukraine
  • · Germany

Frequently asked questions

EAF vs BOF - does it matter for CBAM?

Yes. Electric-arc-furnace plate using >70% scrap can have embedded emissions of 0.4-0.7 tCO2/t vs 2.0-2.3 for integrated BOF. Verified plant-specific data is worth surrendering fewer CBAM certificates - insist on it in LC document requirements.

Destination market toolkits

Country-specific duty, VAT/GST and Incoterms practice for the top destinations for metals.

Import into India →
IGST on imports · 5% / 12% / 18% / 28%
Import into China →
Import VAT · 13% standard, 9% reduced, 6% services
Import into United States →
No federal VAT / GST · 0% federal
Import into United Kingdom →
VAT · 20% standard, 5% reduced, 0% zero-rated
Import into Germany →
VAT (Umsatzsteuer / Einfuhrumsatzsteuer) · 19% standard, 7% reduced
Import into Japan →
Consumption Tax (JCT) · 10% standard / 8% reduced (food, newspapers)

Metals landed-cost pages: every destination market

Jump straight to the metals import guide for any of the destination markets we cover.

Related commodity guides

HS 72Metals
HS Code for Iron & Steel (Chapter 72) →
HS 2601Metals
HS Code for Iron Ore (HS 2601) →
HS 74Metals
HS Code for Copper (Chapter 74 & 2603) →
HS 76Metals
HS Code for Aluminium (Chapter 76) →

Related tools

HS Code Lookup →
Search harmonised codes across 21 sections.
Import Duty & Tax →
Landed cost with duty, VAT/GST and cess.
Landed Cost by HS & Country →
Duty + VAT/GST + Incoterm split for this HS.
CIF ↔ FOB Converter →
Convert customs value between Incoterms.

Sources & citations

Duty rates and regulations compiled from WCO HS, WTO integrated database, national customs authorities and published FTA schedules. Provided for decision-support only - confirm the 10-digit line and current preferential status with your licensed customs broker before acting.

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