The independent observatory for US trade — ship movements,
customs records and policy events, measured and tested.
What China actually pays on of iron or steel, of aluminum or of zinc
Importers of HS 8302.41 (of iron or steel, of aluminum or of zinc) from China actually paid 45.95% on the taxed portion of the value in 2026-06 — 41.74% across everything shipped, taxed or not. Measured from official duty receipts, not the rulebook: the statutory MFN base rate on this code is 3.9%. Over the window the rate on the taxed portion moved 28.73% → 45.95%, with the largest single step +15.7pp in 2025-03. Measured from official US duty receipts · as-of 2026-06 · confidence: measured, not modelled. The HTS base rate is 3.9% — importers actually paid 45.95%, so the trade-war overlay added 42.1 pts, measured at the border (not a summed rulebook estimate). Reproduce exactly: tariff_story(hs: "8302.41", origin: "China") · see it at trimtabist.com/tariffs
HS 8302.41. The schedule base rate is
3.9%; importers from China actually paid 45.95% on the
dutiable value in 2026-06 — the trade-war overlay added 42.1 points, measured at the border. Measured, not modelled.
Over the window the collected rate moved 28.73% (2023-07) → 45.95% (2026-06), largest single step +15.7pp in 2025-03.
Landed cost vs the benchmark
Vietnam's lower duty (27.75% vs 41.74%) lets it price up to 11% above China at the factory and still match on duty-inclusive customs cost. But on the LATEST measured prices, Vietnam actually lands cheaper — $5.85/kg vs $7.63/kg (duty in, freight out).
The trade-war measures that name China or this sector
15 Chapter-99 measures name China; scope mapping is partial (several annexes are PDFs) — absence never means exemption. They do not sum, and some are product-specific — the collected rate above is the composed truth.
Notice of Modification: China's Acts, Policies and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Prop measure 9903.91.03 · Federal Register citation+100%
Notice of Modification: China's Acts, Policies and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Prop measure 9903.91.08 · Federal Register citation+100%
Notice of Modification and Proposed Modification of Section 301 Action: China's Targeting of the Maritime, Log measure 9903.91.14 · Federal Register citation+100%
Notice of Modification: China's Acts, Policies and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Prop measure 9903.91.02 · Federal Register citation+50%
Notice of Modification: China's Acts, Policies and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Prop measure 9903.91.05 · Federal Register citation+50%
Notice of Modification: China's Acts, Policies and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Prop measure 9903.91.07 · Federal Register citation+50%
9903.01.64 measure 9903.01.64+35%
Notice of Implementation of Additional Duties on Products of the People's Republic of China Pursuant to the… measure 9903.01.63 · Federal Register citation+34%
In print: “What China actually pays on of iron or steel, of aluminum or of zinc (HS 8302.41)” —
Trimtab US Trade Ledger (TT-010 Duty receipts), US Census imports-for-consumption records — trimtabist.com/tariff/830241/china