On April 2, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a new proclamation that significantly changes how Section 232 tariffs are applied to derivative products—sending shockwaves through the global machinery trade.
Under the new rules, machinery and other derivative products made substantially of steel, aluminum, or copper will face a flat 25% tariff on the full value of the product. This marks a major shift from the previous system, where tariffs were applied only to the metal component.
The new rates take effect on April 6.
What Does This Mean for Used Machinery?
In simple terms: every imported machine just got a lot more expensive.
Take a basic example:
An excavator purchased for $100,000 will now incur an additional $25,000 in tariffs—regardless of how much of that value is actually steel.
There’s still some uncertainty around whether additional tariffs—such as the previously discussed 10% global tariff—will remain in effect. Clarity on that will be critical in the coming weeks.
Bottom Line
This is a major policy shift with immediate consequences.
For now, exporting machinery to the U.S. just became significantly more complex—and potentially unprofitable.
