HTS Section XV
Base Metals and Articles of Base Metal
Section XV groups 12 HTS chapters covering 3,042 tariff classifications, averaging about 2.3% general (MFN) duty, peaking in Chapter 76 at 3.7%.
- 2.3%
- avg chapter duty
- 12
- HTS chapters
- 3,042
- tariff classifications
- 3.7%
- peak (Ch 76)
About HTS Section XV
Section XV - Base Metals and Articles of Base Metal - is one of 22 top-level groupings in the US Harmonized Tariff Schedule. It aggregates 12 HTS chapters into a single commercial category, covering a total of 3,042 individual tariff classifications. Sections are the broadest layer of the HTS hierarchy: they tell an importer which family of products a good belongs to before drilling into a specific chapter, heading, subheading, and tariff line.
The chapters listed below each carry their own average and maximum duty rates, which vary widely depending on whether a product is raw, processed, or finished. Reviewing a section-wide view is useful when scoping a new import program, you can quickly see which chapters within base metals and articles of base metal are duty-free, which sit in the moderate 3–10% range, and which carry sensitive high-duty lines that may warrant alternative sourcing or FTA-origin strategies.
Click any chapter in the table to see every tariff line it contains, complete with General (MFN), Special (FTA), and Column 2 rates. For precise classification, work from section to chapter to heading to tariff line, never assume a product's rate based on the section average alone. All data is sourced from the USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule 2026 Basic Edition, the official US import duty schedule.
Section averages are a rough orientation only, duty is set at the individual tariff-line level, so always check the specific HTS code.
Average duty rate by chapter, Section XV
Mean general (MFN) rate across each chapter's tariff lines
| Chapter | Title | Items | With Rates | Avg Rate | Max Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72 | Iron and steel | 949 | 262 | 0.3% | 10% |
| 73 | Articles of iron or steel | 968 | 250 | 1.1% | 12.5% |
| 74 | Copper and articles thereof | 238 | 89 | 2.1% | 3% |
| 75 | Nickel and articles thereof | 50 | 28 | 2.2% | 3% |
| 76 | Aluminium and articles thereof | 211 | 65 | 3.7% | 6.5% |
| 78 | Lead and articles thereof | 21 | 11 | 1.9% | 3% |
| 79 | Zinc and articles thereof | 19 | 13 | 2.5% | 4.2% |
| 80 | Tin and articles thereof | 17 | 10 | 1.9% | 3% |
| 81 | Other base metals; cermets; articles thereof | 128 | 74 | 3.4% | 15% |
| 82 | Tools, implements, cutlery, spoons and forks, of base metal; parts thereof of base metal | 304 | 135 | 3.6% | 15.8% |
| 83 | Miscellaneous articles of base metal | 137 | 59 | 3.0% | 7.5% |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does HTS Section XV cover? ▼
How many chapters are in Section XV? ▼
How is the Harmonized Tariff Schedule organized? ▼
Where can I find the duty rate for a specific product? ▼
Learn More About Tariffs
Next steps
Drill from this section down to the exact rate for your product.
- Open any of Section XV's 12 chapters to see its tariff lines. Chapter table above
- Estimate the duty on a shipment in this category. Tariff calculator
- Search for a specific product by code or description. Search HTS
The section average is a rough guide; actual duty depends on the precise HTS classification and country of origin.
Related
Sources: U.S. International Trade Commission Harmonized Tariff Schedule (2026 Basic Edition) and FAO FAOSTAT Trade: Crops and Livestock. See our methodology for how figures are computed.
Every figure on PlainTariff is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.