Overview
Metal cargo is dense and heavy, and it gets damaged in predictable ways: moisture causes rust, pressure bends long pieces, impact dents surfaces, and uneven weight damages container floors or makes handling unsafe. Good packing, load planning and moisture control help prevent all of these. This guide covers steel, aluminum and fabricated goods, from coils and bars to machine parts and welded frames.
Metal Goods This Guide Covers
Raw & Semi-Finished Metals
Steel coils, billets, rods, bars, sheets and plates
Fabricated Industrial Components
Machine parts, profiles and fittings
Metal Consumer Goods
Cookware, utensils and décor goods
Engineered Assemblies
Welded structures and modular frames
Shipping metals and fabricated goods?
Get a quoteFour Risks in Transit and How to Prevent Them
Metal is dense. Poor handling can shift cargo, damage the container floor or cause accidents, and an uneven load can tilt or break the floor.
- Mark the weight clearly
- Plan forklift or crane handling for heavy pieces
- Spread the weight evenly across the container
- Use strong pallets, or metal skids where required
- Use wooden or steel dunnage
Humidity and salt air cause oxidation, rust and stains. Corrosion can make metal unusable for precision applications.
- Apply anti-rust oil where applicable
- Wrap in VCI (vapor corrosion inhibitor) film
- Add desiccant bags for ocean transit
- Load in a dry, clean area
- Protect ocean shipments even in sealed containers: humidity can still cause rust
Metal scratches and dents when pieces rub or strike each other, and ship motion at sea is a common cause.
- Use cardboard, rubber or foam separators
- Fit edge guards on strapped bundles
- Block and brace firmly so nothing shifts
- Tie loads down securely
Long profiles and thin sections can bend under load, often when an unsupported beam flexes in transit.
- Support long items with beams or cradles
- Crate long or slender goods
- Load heavy items on the bottom, light ones on top
- Protect the ends of long profiles
Documents to Prepare
| Document | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Commercial invoice and packing list | States the HS code, weight, packing method and product description |
| Certificate of origin (COO) | Confirms where the goods were made; many customs authorities and trade programs require it |
| Mill test certificate (MTC) | Confirms the metal grade and its chemical and physical properties |
| Packing declaration | Shows the pallet or crate type and the protection used |
| Export clearance documents (if controlled grade) | Some metal grades face export restrictions, depending on the region |
Destination Requirements: US, EU and Middle East
- Certificate of origin often required
- Certain steel items reviewed for import tariffs
- Certificate of origin frequently checked
- Steel may fall under trade control programs
- Certificate of origin mandatory in most markets
- Project cargo may need on-site coordination
Choosing a Container or Vessel
| Mode | Best For |
|---|---|
| 20ft or 40ft dry container | Sheets, bars and boxed components |
| Flat rack | Oversized steel structures and beams |
| Open top | Tall fabricated units |
| Breakbulk or bulk vessel | Coils, billets and large industrial loads |
Shipping metals and fabricated goods?
Get a quoteHS Code Examples for Metal Goods
| HS Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 7208–7212 | Steel sheets and plates |
| 7213 / 7214 | Steel bars and rods |
| 7318 | Fasteners (bolts, screws) |
| 7610 | Aluminum structures |
These codes are indicative starting points, not a classification. Find the exact 10-digit line for your product in the HTS Code Finder. Getting the classification right is the importer of record’s legal responsibility.
Confirm the final 8–10 digit tariff code for each destination country. Estimate US import duties for these codes with our free tariff simulator.
Metal Shipping FAQs
For ocean shipments it's recommended: humidity can cause rust even inside a sealed container.
Yes, as long as the container floor is strong enough and the coils sit in cradles.
Poor bracing, moisture, and pieces rubbing together as the ship moves.
It's commonly required for metal shipments because of trade controls and duty programs.
Crate them or ship them in frames, protect the ends, support them at the right points, and tie them down securely.
Shipping terms in this guide:DunnageCommercial InvoicePacking ListHarmonized System Code (HS Code)Certificate of Origin (COO)Flat Rack Container
U.S. import duty on Metals & Fabricated Industrial Goods by country of origin
Total duty on the highest-value tariff lines in this category, by country of origin, calculated with our tariff engine and U.S. Census import values. Each page breaks down the duty components, how the rate has changed by entry date, and the landed-cost math.
- Cathodes and sections of cathodes from Chile
- Aluminum can body stock from South Korea
- Aluminum can body stock from China
- Cathodes and sections of cathodes from Peru
- Aluminum, not alloyed from United Arab Emirates
- Cathodes and sections of cathodes from South Korea
- Windows and their frames from Colombia
- Tin, not alloyed from Peru
- Heat-treatable industrial alloys from Germany
- Cathodes and sections of cathodes from Germany
Rates are our tariff engine's total for a commercial entry today. Open a page for the duty lines behind a rate and how it changed by entry date, browse all import duty pages, or price your own shipment.
Need help planning a metal shipment?
We help with load securing, moisture protection, document checks and transport planning for steel, aluminum and fabricated metal goods.
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Tell us the product, where it ships from and to, and the container size or weight. We reply with the freight rate, the destination charges and the services included. The guide you were reading is already in the notes.