CSMS 45251857·Trade policy·December 22, 2020·View on csms.cbp.gov ↗

Absolute Quota Section 232 Steel and Aluminum General Approved Exclusions Effective December 29, 2020

Plain-English explanation

CSMS 45251857 is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Cargo Systems Messaging Service bulletin (trade policy), published on December 22, 2020. It carries the official CBP guidance brokers and importers must follow for the topic — "Absolute Quota Section 232 Steel and Aluminum General Approved Exclusions Effective December 29, 2020". CSMS messages are the operational layer between Commerce determinations and at-the-border collections: when Commerce publishes a new rate, scope ruling, or instruction, CBP turns it into a CSMS that ACE/ACS systems and brokers act on.

Message body

Full text as published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection

CSMS #45251857 - Absolute Quota Section 232 Steel and Aluminum General Approved Exclusions Effective December 29, 2020 U.S. Customs and Border Protection sent this bulletin at 12/22/2020 09:45 AM EST Cargo Systems Messaging Service CSMS #45251857 - Absolute Quota Section 232 Steel and Aluminum General Approved Exclusions Effective December 29, 2020 Effective December 29, 2020 Section 232 steel and aluminum entries using HTS numbers listed in the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security Interim Final Rule supplement no. 2 and no.3 ( https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-12-14/pdf/2020-27110.pdf ) must use HTS 9903.80.60 steel or 9903.85.11 aluminum along with the CH 1-97 HTS classification. The Interim Final Rule implements General Approved Exclusions (GAEs) that the Department of Commerce has determined will further improve the 232 exclusions process. The GAEs may be used by any importing entity and will provide an efficient exclusion process for certain steel and aluminum HTS numbers where objections have not been received in the past. The GAE HTS must be entered using 9903.80.60 steel or 9903.85.11 aluminum along with the CH 1-97 HTS classification. This change will result in an estimated immediate decrease of 5,000 exclusion requests annually, resulting in a significant improvement in efficiency of the 232 exclusion process. Please refer to Quota Bulletin QB 21-601 2020 Absolute Quota for Steel Mill Articles: Argentina, Brazil and South Korea and QB 21-701 Absolute Aluminum Articles from Argentina ( https://www.cbp.gov/trade/quota/bulletins ). Please note the new General Approved Exclusion 10-digit HTS numbers are listed at the end of the appropriate bulletin. Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page . You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com . This service is provided to you at no charge by U.S. Customs and Border Protection . Privacy Policy | GovDelivery is providing this information on behalf of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and may not use the information for any other purposes. Powered by Privacy Policy | Cookie Statement | Help

Frequently asked questions

What is CSMS 45251857?

CSMS 45251857 is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Cargo Systems Messaging Service bulletin titled "Absolute Quota Section 232 Steel and Aluminum General Approved Exclusions Effective December 29, 2020". CSMS bulletins are the operational instructions CBP issues to brokers, importers, and ACE filers covering rate changes, system updates, scope guidance, and other day-to-day customs-operations changes.

When was CSMS 45251857 published?

CBP published CSMS 45251857 on December 22, 2020. The bulletin's instructions are typically operative as of the publication date unless the body specifies a different effective date.

Is the CBP CSMS the legally binding instruction?

Yes — for at-the-border filing and entry collection. CSMS messages translate Commerce's Federal Register determinations into operational CBP instructions that ACE/ACS systems and brokers execute. The Federal Register notice is the underlying legal authority; the CSMS is the operational implementation. Both should be read together when reconciling a rate or scope change.

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