A buyer in Ohio asks for a landed price on 20,000 brass hose nipples. You quote fast, he goes quiet, and two weeks later a supplier from Vietnam wins the order. Very often, the brass tariff line in that quote was wrong, or at least out of date.
US duty on Indian goods has changed four times since April 2025. If you export fittings, inserts or turned parts, this guide shows the brass tariff that applies in October 2026 and how to check it for your own product code.
What Is the Current Brass Tariff on India?
What is the current brass tariff on India in October 2026? Most Indian goods pay the normal US duty for their HTS line plus a 10% Section 301 duty, in force since July 24, 2026. Brass parts often follow a different rule, which is why brass products exporters now check Section 232 copper scope before they quote.
Brass is a copper alloy, usually 58% to 70% copper. So a brass fitting can land under the Section 232 copper tariff, charged at 25% or 50% of full customs value, instead of the 10% duty. Same container, very different bill.
How the Brass Tariff Moved Between 2025 and 2026
Here is the short history. It’s worth reading once, because US buyers still quote old numbers they picked up from news clips.
| Date | US duty on most Indian goods | Legal basis |
| April 5, 2025 | 10% baseline | IEEPA |
| August 27, 2025 | 50% (25% reciprocal plus 25% additional) | IEEPA |
| February 7, 2026 | 18% reciprocal | US-India interim trade framework |
| February 24, 2026 | 10% | Section 122, after the Supreme Court ruling |
| July 24, 2026 | MFN duty plus 10% | Section 301 |
The 50% peak was brutal. On a $10,000 order of brass fittings, the brass tariff alone added $5,000 before freight, insurance or port charges. No margin in this trade survives that for long.
Reciprocal Tariffs and the Supreme Court Ruling
The reciprocal brass tariff on India came from IEEPA, a US emergency powers law. It started at 25%, climbed to a 50% total with the extra August 2025 duty, and then dropped to 18% under the February 2026 interim framework.
Then the Supreme Court struck down IEEPA duties on February 20, 2026, and collection stopped on February 24. Importers who paid the reciprocal brass tariff on India between April 2025 and February 2026 may be able to claim refunds, a point worth raising with US buyers who source brass parts in Jamnagar.
Which Brass Tariff Is Used in India Shipments to the US?
People ask us which brass tariff is used in India shipments right now. The honest answer is that it depends on the HTS code. Two duty tracks exist, and they don’t stack: a product under Section 232 pays the 232 rate instead of the 10% Section 301 duty.
Before you send a price, run these five checks:
- Find the exact 10-digit HTS code your buyer’s customs broker will file.
- Check whether that code sits in Chapter 74, the copper chapter, where most brass fittings fall under heading 7412.
- Weigh the copper share, since goods with 15% or less copper by weight drop out of Section 232, except items in Chapters 72, 73, 74 and 76.
- Confirm the MFN rate for the line, because the 10% Section 301 duty is added on top of it.
- Add the merchandise processing fee of 0.3464% per formal entry to your landed cost sheet.
Mixed parts are where quotes go wrong. A brass insert moulded into a plastic housing is a different product from a loose brass insert, so it may carry a different code and a different brass tariff.
Section 232 Copper Rules for Brass Parts
Since April 6, 2026, Section 232 charges 50% on the full value of articles made entirely or almost entirely of copper. Derivative articles made substantially of copper pay 25%, also on full customs value rather than metal content.
Plenty of brass fittings, valves and turned components can sit in one of those two tiers, but only the HTS line confirms it. Commerce can also add items at any time. Its August 2026 proposal named 14 more derivative products, including brass-wind instruments and heat exchanger parts.
How Exporters Are Handling the Current Brass Tariff on India
The current brass tariff on India hasn’t wiped out US demand. It has changed how deals get written, though, and these habits keep US accounts alive:
- Quote FOB or FCA, so the US importer pays duty and you aren’t guessing rates months ahead.
- Print the HTS code on every quote and invoice, and ask the buyer’s broker to confirm it in writing.
- Add a tariff clause that lets either side reopen price if the US rate changes before shipment.
- Keep mill test certificates that show copper content, since US customs may ask for proof of the alloy.
- Spread volume across markets, so one rule change in Washington doesn’t hit half your order book.
That last habit matters more every year. Europe and the UK run their own duty systems, separate from the US rules above, and buyers in Italy and Germany keep asking for precision parts. Our note on brass supply solutions for Italian industries covers that route in detail.
Want a quick sanity check on a quote? Ask for the HTS line first and the rate second. The current brass tariff on India is a moving number, so date-stamp every price you send.
Conclusion
US duty on Indian brass has swung between 10% and 50% in about 18 months. Check the HTS code, confirm whether Section 232 applies, and price with a tariff clause. That habit protects your margin wherever the brass tariff lands next.
FAQs
Q1. What is the current brass tariff on India?
Most Indian goods pay MFN duty plus 10% under Section 301. Many brass parts pay the Section 232 copper rate of 25% or 50% instead, based on the HTS code.
Q2. Is the reciprocal brass tariff on India still active?
No. The Supreme Court struck down the IEEPA reciprocal duties in February 2026. A 10% Section 301 duty applies to most Indian goods now.
Q3. Which brass tariff is used in India for US exports?
It depends on the HTS line. Copper-heavy brass goods usually fall under Section 232, while others pay MFN duty plus the 10% Section 301 duty.