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The Aug 27, 2026 BIS comment window has closed — Section 232 exposure monitoring continues

The Aug 27 BIS window closed. Your Section 232 exposure did not. TariffWatch watches your HTS codes for the next notice.

The FR 2026-15961 comment window closed at 11:59 PM ET on August 27, 2026. Section 232 derivative-article inclusion is a rolling process, not a one-time event: under 15 CFR Part 705 BIS accepts inclusion requests from domestic producers year-round and publishes new Federal Register notices on an approximate quarterly cadence. The watchlist ($29/mo) tracks every BIS, USTR, CBP, and Commerce notice against your exact HTS codes and emails you the day one lands — so the next window gives you weeks of runway, not hours. Free 60-second HTS exposure check to start.

Stripe · PCI DSS Level 1 checkoutSOC 2 Type II hosting (Vercel + Supabase)GDPR + CCPA policies · US data residencySources: Federal Register 2026-15961 · BIS docket BIS-2026-0331 · XRIN 0694-XC166

Delivery: draft e-mailed to you within 48 hours of purchase. Docket receipt: regulations.gov docket BIS-2026-0331 · XRIN 0694-XC166.

Try the checker below → no signup, no email

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Three paths. Pick the one that fits.

No wrong door. Each path is priced to match the urgency of the buyer walking in.

Path 1

“I need to file NOW.”

Your HTS code is on the proposed list, or you received a BIS inclusion notice and need a rebuttal on the record.

  • Rolling inclusion rebuttal drafted + filed for you
  • Docket receipt + confirmation email in 2 business days
  • All 10 required Exclusions-Portal sections covered
Path 2

“I need to monitor for the next one.”

Your book has ongoing exposure. The BIS notice cadence is ~90 days — you want to be told the day it drops.

  • Federal Register + USTR + CBP + Commerce monitoring on your HTS codes
  • Email the hour a matching notice publishes
  • Cancel anytime, no annual lock-in
Best value
Path 3

“I want the bundle.”

All three Digital Empire compliance tools (TariffWatch + PixelProof + EntryProof) — 1-year founder license.

  • 1 filing + watchlist + PixelProof scans + EntryProof e-file
  • Founder pricing locked for renewal
  • 5 spots remaining
Free tool · no signup

Check if your HTS code is on the Section 232 list.

Paste any 4-, 6-, 8-, or 10-digit HTS. Instant match against all 14 proposed derivative articles from Federal Register notice 2026-15961, plus the current 50%/25% coverage tables. Zero PII collected.

Check my HTS code →

Used daily by importers, licensed customs brokers, and trade-compliance counsel.

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TariffWatch walkthrough frame 1 of 7

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What TariffWatch customers say

A note from Andy

TariffWatch launched with the BIS Aug 27 2026 comment window. First customers get my direct email for exposure-check help. Real customer quotes will surface here as they come in -- we won't fabricate any.

See sample letters

Six rolling exposure vectors, one calendar, one checker

Real-time BIS / USTR / CBP calendar monitoring

Federal Register notices, USTR Section 301 dockets, CBP CSMS bulletins, and Commerce AD/CVD administrative reviews — TariffWatch tracks all four on your HTS codes and alerts only when a rolling deadline actually touches your product line. Full calendar here.

Section 232 inclusion-rebuttal drafting

The rolling 5 U.S.C. § 553(c) inclusion-rebuttal path replaces the terminated formal exclusion-petition process for post-Aug-27 relief on the derivative rule. Templates cover all 10 required BIS Exclusions Portal sections; $99 for us to file the drafted request or included in higher tiers. See the inclusion-rebuttal templates.

Section 301 exclusion tracking

USTR's Section 301 exclusion docket is a standing lever for any China-origin import. Under 19 U.S.C. § 2417 the four-year review cycle continues rolling — we track extension decisions on the exclusions your HTS codes were granted or could still qualify for.

Automatic alerts on new HTS-code additions

Every quarter, BIS opens an inclusion-request window under 15 CFR Part 705 where domestic producers can petition to add new HTS headings to Section 232 coverage. Your competitors' inclusion request is the primary way a product gets pulled under 232 with no warning — we watch that docket on your codes.

Comment-letter drafting for any open docket

Not just the BIS-14 window. When USTR, BIS, or CBP publishes a Federal Register notice touching an HTS code we're monitoring for you, we auto-draft a comment letter grounded in your exposure numbers — ready to review and file at regulations.gov before the docket closes.

Quarterly CBP interest-rate + AD/CVD updates

Under 19 CFR § 24.3a CBP publishes a customs-interest-rate notice every quarter; Commerce ITA opens administrative-review windows monthly for AD/CVD-covered products under 19 CFR § 351.213. Both feed your tariff-cost model directly — we surface the deltas and the deadlines on the same calendar.

How Section 232 works (plain English)

STEP 1

Commerce investigates

Under 19 U.S.C. § 1862 (Trade Expansion Act of 1962), Commerce investigates whether an import category threatens national security. Steel, aluminum, and copper are already covered.

STEP 2

BIS proposes derivatives

Bureau of Industry and Security publishes a Federal Register notice adding downstream “derivative articles” (steel-containing screws, aluminum-containing coolers, etc.) to the 232 list — with a public-comment window (usually 15–30 days).

STEP 3

Tariff applies on full value

Per the Apr 2, 2026 proclamation, Section 232 duties apply to the full customs value of the derivative article — not just the metal-content portion. Current rate: 50% on most steel/aluminum/copper, 25% on other categories.

STEP 4

Rebuttal, not exclusion

The formal exclusion-petition process was terminated in the Apr 2026 restructuring. Relief now comes via the rolling 5 U.S.C. § 553(c) inclusion-rebuttal path — a shorter, evidence-anchored filing on the BIS Exclusions Portal.

The 14 proposed Section 232 derivative articles

Full list from Federal Register notice 2026-15961 (published Aug 6, 2026). Every article carries a proposed 25% rate on top of existing steel/aluminum/copper duties. Verified against the notice's SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION body text (not just the summary abstract, which collapses two entries).

#ArticleHTS heading(s)Proposed rate
1Aluminum powder760325%
2Brass-wind musical instruments and parts9205, 920925%
3Welding-machine parts851525%
4Floor safes830325%
5Electric conductor cables854425%
6Fire extinguishers842425%
7Heat-exchange-unit parts841925%
8Hydraulic engine parts8412, 841325%
9Mobile lifting frames on tires and straddle carriers842625%
10Other self-propelled cranes and mobile lifting frames842625%
11Tanker trailers871625%
12Agricultural trailers871625%
13Other trailers871625%
14Filled steel containers7310, 731125%

HTS mappings are TariffWatch's own best-effort 4-digit heading matches — BIS has not yet published a finalized 8/10-digit subheading annex. Always verify against the Federal Register notice before relying on the mapping for a filing.

Check any HTS code against this list →

BIS opens a new window every ~90 days

Section 232 is not a one-time event. Under 15 CFR Part 705, BIS accepts rolling inclusion-request submissions from domestic producers year-round and publishes new Federal Register notices adding derivative articles on an approximate quarterly cadence. The Aug 4, 2026 notice (2026-15961) was the fourth such window in the last 12 months.

Recent BIS Section 232 activity (12-month window)
  • Aug 6, 2026 — FR 2026-15961, 14 new derivative articles proposed at 25%. Comment window closed Aug 27, 2026.
  • Jun 1, 2026 — Presidential proclamation raising most steel/aluminum/copper to 50% rate.
  • Apr 2, 2026 — Restructuring: 232 duties shifted to full customs value; formal exclusion-petition process terminated.
  • Feb 2026 — Prior derivative-articles inclusion window (fasteners, cookware, tool handles).

If your book contains steel-, aluminum-, or copper-adjacent HTS lines, statistical priors say the next inclusion notice touching one of your codes lands within the next ~90 days. Set up the $29/mo watchlist →

Questions importers ask first

20 real questions on Section 232, BIS Notice 2026-15961, and the inclusion-rebuttal process — with plain-language answers grounded in Federal Register, 19 U.S.C., 15 CFR, and CBP CSMS primary sources.

What does TariffWatch cost?

The HTS lookup tool is free — use it right now, no signup. The Watchlist is $29/mo: we monitor your specific HTS codes against BIS inclusion requests and Federal Register actions, with alerts and a weekly digest. One-time packages: the Comment Filing package at $49 (file an opposition comment against an inclusion request, guided end-to-end) and the Inclusion Rebuttal package at $99 (full rebuttal build for a request that directly targets your products).

Why are there one-time purchases and a subscription?

Because the problem has two shapes. Monitoring is continuous — inclusion requests appear on BIS's schedule, not yours — so the Watchlist is monthly. But when a specific request threatens your product, that's an event: you fight it once, hard, inside a 14-day comment window. Pay for the fight when there's a fight.

Is there a free trial on the Watchlist?

Yes — full access up front, downgrade if it's not for you. And the free HTS lookup means you can confirm we correctly understand your product's tariff exposure before spending anything. If the lookup impresses you, the Watchlist is the same engine running continuously on your behalf.

Refunds?

Watchlist annual: 30-day money-back. Watchlist monthly: trial first, and genuine problems handled case-by-case at support — we don't advertise a window, we just behave decently. One-time packages ($49/$99): if we fail to deliver the package as described, full refund; if you used the filing and the government ruled against you, that's the government, not the deliverable — but talk to us anyway.

What data do you need from me?

Very little: your email and the HTS codes you care about. We don't need entry documents, supplier names, or transaction values for monitoring — the watchlist works on codes alone. If you buy a filing package, you'll share product details needed for the arguments, which stay between us.

Is my watchlist confidential? My HTS interest is competitively sensitive.

Yes, and we understand why you're asking — a watchlist is a map of your supply chain exposure. Your codes are never shared, sold, aggregated into public stats, or visible to other customers. Encrypted in transit and at rest, US infrastructure, access limited and logged.

What does TariffWatch actually do?

It watches the Section 232 derivatives process for you: monitors BIS inclusion requests, Federal Register notices, and proclamation changes against your specific HTS codes, then alerts you with plain-English impact — "a request was filed to add your code to the steel derivatives list; comment window closes in 14 days." Plus the free HTS lookup, filing packages when you need to fight, and a weekly digest.

What are "inclusion requests" and why should I care?

Domestic steel and aluminum producers can petition BIS to add derivative products — by HTS code — to the Section 232 tariff lists. If a request covering your code succeeds, your imports get hit with the 50% tariff on the steel/aluminum content. These requests are filed during three annual windows (May, September, January), and the public comment period on each is short. Miss it, and the first you hear is your broker's invoice.

How fast do I get alerted when something affects my codes?

Same day as publication, typically within hours — our cron polls the Federal Register API and BIS continuously. Speed matters here more than almost anywhere: comment windows on inclusion requests run about 14 days from posting, and building a real opposition takes most of that.

How long does setup take?

Minutes. Run the free HTS lookup to confirm your codes, add them to your Watchlist, done. No integrations, no imports, no IT ticket. The hard part of this problem was never setup — it was knowing what happened in the Federal Register this morning.

My customs broker already tells me about tariff changes.

Brokers tell you about changes that have *landed* — usually when the duty bill arrives. Almost no broker monitors pending BIS inclusion requests per client HTS code, because that's forward-looking regulatory surveillance, not entry filing. By the time a change reaches your broker's workflow, the comment window where you could have fought it is closed. We work upstream of your broker.

Versus hiring a trade attorney?

Trade counsel is irreplaceable for strategy and formal proceedings — at $400-800/hr. But paying counsel to *watch the Federal Register* is lighting money on fire. The efficient split: TariffWatch monitors ($29/mo) and handles standard comment filings ($49-99); counsel handles what genuinely needs a lawyer. Several attorneys use us for exactly this reason.

Tariff policy changes so fast that monitoring feels pointless.

Flip that around: policy changing fast is the *reason* monitoring exists. When rules were stable, nobody needed a watchlist. The 232 derivatives process now moves in structured windows (May, September, January) with real deadlines — fast, but trackable. Chaos you can't see is a threat; chaos you're watching is a planning input.

We only import finished goods, not steel or aluminum.

The derivatives lists are exactly about finished goods — the tariff applies to the steel and aluminum *content* of downstream products. Appliances, furniture components, auto parts, hardware — codes people swore were "not a steel product" have been added by inclusion. Run the free HTS lookup; it takes two minutes to know whether this paragraph applies to you.

$29/mo for email alerts?

For $29/mo you get continuous per-code surveillance of a process where a single missed comment window can mean a permanent 50% tariff on the metal content of your imports. One container's worth of unexpected 232 duty typically costs more than a decade of the Watchlist. It's the cheapest asymmetric bet in your import budget.

What legal authorities does TariffWatch monitor?

Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (19 U.S.C. §1862) as implemented through the steel and aluminum proclamations — from Proclamations 9704/9705 (2018) through the 2025 actions that ended exclusions and raised rates to 50% (effective June 4, 2025) — plus the BIS inclusions process for derivative products and every related Federal Register publication. Alerts cite the specific document, always.

Is TariffWatch legal advice? Are the filing packages legal representation?

No and no. We're a monitoring and document-preparation service — the comment and rebuttal packages structure *your* submission with *your* facts; you (or your counsel) file as yourself. For matters needing a licensed trade attorney, we'll say so explicitly rather than upsell you a package that shouldn't carry the weight.

Can I cancel the Watchlist anytime?

Yes, self-serve, effective end of period. Your watchlist configuration and alert history stay attached to your account, because tariff exposure has a way of becoming urgent again in May, September, and January.

What exactly is in the $49 Comment Filing package?

A guided build of a formal opposition comment against a BIS inclusion request affecting your HTS codes: argument structure, the economic-impact framing BIS actually weighs, formatting for the docket, and filing instructions with the deadline tracked for you. What takes trade counsel a billable afternoon, structured for you at $49.

What's in the $99 Inclusion Rebuttal package versus the $49 one?

The rebuttal package is for when an inclusion request directly targets your product line — deeper treatment: full rebuttal document assembly, domestic-availability and substitutability arguments, supporting-evidence checklist, and review before filing. The $49 comment is a strong voice in the docket; the $99 rebuttal is a defense brief.

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Digital Empire builds compliance tools for regulated verticals — pharma, consumer products, metals.

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About the founder

Built by Andy Gaber — solo founder, Wyoming-registered US LLC. I read every reply, ship a fix inside the same day when the finding is real, and I answer to the same address whether you're evaluating or already paying: support@digitalempireholdings.com.

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