Short answer: yes. As of October 8, 2026, a shipping container imported into the United States pays a 25% Section 232 steel duty on its full customs value. That holds whether it was built in China, Vietnam, Japan or Korea. Container chassis pay the same 25%, plus antidumping and countervailing duties if they come from China, Mexico, Thailand or Vietnam. And Chinese chassis entered on or after November 10, 2026 are scheduled to pay an extra 100% under Section 301.
Buying containers or chassis in volume? Request a wholesale quote or call (888) 471-9099.
2026 duties at a glance
| Equipment | Origin | Duty on entries today | Coming up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shipping containers (HTS 8609.00.00) | China, Vietnam, Japan, Korea and most other countries | Regular duty free, plus 25% Section 232 on the full value | Nothing announced |
| Container chassis and chassis parts | China | 25% Section 232, plus antidumping and countervailing duties | Extra 100% Section 301 on entries from November 10, 2026 |
| Container chassis | Vietnam | 25% Section 232, plus 186.84% antidumping | Nothing announced |
| Container chassis | Thailand | 25% Section 232, plus 72.85% antidumping (129.63% for Panus Assembly) and 9.65% to 10.72% countervailing | Nothing announced |
| Container chassis | Mexico | 25% Section 232, plus 76.91% countervailing (antidumping cash deposit 0.00%) | Nothing announced |
These duties stack. Each one is charged on top of the others. Confirm your exact rate with a licensed customs broker before you import.
Shipping containers: a 25% steel duty on the full value
In the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, a container (HTS 8609.00.00) carries no regular duty. The cost comes from Section 232, the national security tariff on steel. Containers are on the U.S. list of “derivative steel articles,” and heading 9903.82.09 adds 25% to them.
Since April 6, 2026, Section 232 duties are charged on the full customs value of the product, not just the value of the steel in it. That change came from Proclamation 11021. For a container, that means 25% of its full customs value.
- Origin barely matters. Boxes from China, Vietnam, Japan and Korea all pay 25%. Lower rates exist only for UK products made with UK steel (15%) and for articles whose steel is at least 85% melted and poured in the United States (10%). Neither describes a typical new container.
- Trade agreements don’t remove it. The Section 232 duty is collected even on goods that qualify for a free trade agreement rate.
- Some reefers are different. A reefer with aluminum or composite panels may be treated differently. Have your broker confirm before you price a load.
No Section 301 duty on containers
Containers do not carry a China Section 301 duty. In October 2025, the U.S. Trade Representative decided “not to impose additional duties on intermodal shipping containers at this time.” You may still see claims that Chinese boxes pay 25% more than Vietnamese ones. They don’t. Both pay the same 25% Section 232 rate.
The newer Section 301 duties tied to forced labor enforcement started July 24, 2026, at 10% or 12.5% depending on the country. They don’t reach steel containers either: USTR’s notice exempts derivative steel articles already covered by Section 232.
Container chassis: three layers of duty
Intermodal chassis (HTS 8716.39.0090) and chassis parts carry the same 25% Section 232 steel duty as containers. Antidumping (AD) and countervailing (CVD) duties come on top, depending on where the chassis was built. If you are comparing chassis types first, see our chassis buying guide.
- China: AD and CVD orders have covered Chinese chassis since 2021. In summer 2026, Commerce found that dumping (margins up to 188.05%) and subsidies (44.32%) would likely continue without them. The U.S. International Trade Commission’s review is still open, and the orders stay in force meanwhile.
- Vietnam: an AD order since June 2026, at 186.84% for Vietnamese producers.
- Thailand: AD of 72.85% (129.63% for Panus Assembly) plus CVD of 9.65% to 10.72%.
- Mexico: CVD of 76.91%. The AD margin is 32.37%, but the cash deposit is 0.00% after subsidy offsets.
November 10, 2026: an extra 100% on Chinese chassis
USTR’s maritime Section 301 action adds 100% to Chinese intermodal chassis, chassis subassemblies and parts. USTR suspended the action in November 2025 through 11:59 p.m. EST on November 9, 2026. The tariff schedule already lists the 100% duty for entries on or after November 10, 2026.
- It applies to entries on or after November 10. A chassis entered before then is not affected.
- It comes on top of the AD, CVD and Section 232 duties.
- Bonded warehouse storage is not a safe workaround. Without a CBP ruling, assume a chassis withdrawn after November 9 pays the new rate.
- USTR could extend the suspension again. As of October 8, 2026, it has not.
The same suspension also paused USTR’s port fees on certain China-linked vessels. Unless USTR acts, those fees return on November 10 too, which can push ocean freight costs up.
What this means when you buy
- Ask for duty-paid pricing. Get quotes that say whether import duty is included, so you compare like with like.
- Don’t pay for a “duty advantage” by origin. On containers, Chinese and Vietnamese boxes pay the same 25%.
- Get chassis origin in writing. Origin can swing antidumping and countervailing duty from zero to more than 186%, before the November 10 change.
- Check timing on Chinese chassis. If units are already on the water, find out whether they will be entered before November 10.
Lummid supplies new and used containers and chassis to resellers and volume buyers, with equipment at depots across the U.S. and Canada. Not sure who actually owns the units you’re being quoted? Read wholesaler vs reseller vs broker.
FAQ
Is there a tariff on shipping containers from China?
Yes. A container from China pays 25% under Section 232 on its full customs value. There is no Section 301 duty on containers, so a container from Vietnam pays the same 25%.
Does the November 10 duty hit chassis already in the U.S.?
No. The extra 100% applies to Chinese chassis entered on or after November 10, 2026. Chassis entered before then are not affected by it.
Can I get back IEEPA tariffs I paid on containers?
Possibly. On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump that the IEEPA tariffs collected since February 3, 2025 were unlawful, and CBP now handles court-ordered refunds. Ask your customs broker whether your entries qualify.
This guide is general information, current as of October 8, 2026. It is not legal or customs advice. Duty rates change, so confirm yours with a licensed customs broker.
Need containers or chassis in volume? Request a wholesale quote or call (888) 471-9099.
Sources
- U.S. International Trade Commission, Harmonized Tariff Schedule, 2026 Revision 20 (8609.00.00, 9903.82.09, 9903.91.12)
- HTS Chapter 99, U.S. Notes 16 and 31
- Proclamation 11021, 91 FR 18201 (April 9, 2026)
- USTR, Section 301 maritime action, 90 FR 48320 (October 16, 2025)
- USTR, suspension of the maritime action, 90 FR 50947 (November 13, 2025)
- USTR, forced labor Section 301 actions, 91 FR 47318 (July 28, 2026)
- Commerce, antidumping duty orders on chassis from Mexico, Thailand and Vietnam, 91 FR 36806
- Commerce, countervailing duty orders on chassis from Mexico and Thailand, 91 FR 36800
- Commerce, sunset review of the China chassis CVD order, 91 FR 47814
- Commerce, sunset review of the China chassis AD order, 91 FR 49423
- U.S. International Trade Commission, China chassis reviews, 91 FR 62745 (October 2, 2026)
- CBP, court-ordered IEEPA refunds, 91 FR 63299 (October 5, 2026)
