News & Blog

US Section 301 Duty on Egyptian Goods (12.5 %)

Since 24 July 2026 Egyptian goods carry an additional 12.5 % US duty under Section 301. What it replaced, who pays, and how it lands on salt and cement offers.

Since 24 July 2026, goods of Egyptian origin entering the United States carry an additional 12.5 % ad valorem duty under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, on top of the normal tariff. This briefing sets out where that duty came from, what it applies to, and what it changes in a bulk salt or cement offer — so that a US importer and an Egyptian supplier price the same landed cost.

It is a summary for commercial planning, not customs advice: the tariff line, the exemption annexes and the entry are the importer's broker's to confirm.

Three tariffs in eighteen months

Period	Measure	Rate on Egyptian goods	Status
April 2025 → 20 February 2026	"Reciprocal" tariff under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)	10 %	Struck down by the US Supreme Court on 20 February 2026 (6–3): IEEPA does not grant the President authority to impose tariffs
20 February → 24 July 2026	Section 122 balance-of-payments surcharge	10 %	Expired — Section 122 allows at most 150 days
From 24 July 2026	Section 301 action on 60 economies over forced-labour import prohibitions	12.5 %	In force — Federal Register notice of 28 July 2026

The Section 301 notice places Egypt in the higher of two tiers. Economies found to have taken partial steps against forced-labour imports (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, Mexico among them) pay 10 %; those found to have taken none — Egypt, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Morocco, Brazil, Vietnam among them — pay 12.5 %. The notice's own words: "12.5 percent tariffs on products of Egypt, except as provided in Annex I and Annex II, Part A".

The Supreme Court decision also opened the question of refunds of IEEPA duties paid between April 2025 and February 2026 — a matter between the importer of record and its broker, not the exporter.

What the 12.5 % sits on top of

The normal (most-favoured-nation) rates for Egypt Globe Group's main US lines are already free:

Product	HTSUS heading	Normal (MFN) duty	With Section 301
Salt (sodium chloride)	2501.00	Free	+ 12.5 % unless the line is exempt
Natural gypsum	2520.10	Free	+ 12.5 % unless the line is exempt
Portland cement	2523.29	Free	+ 12.5 % unless the line is exempt

Two things a buyer should know about the base:

Exemptions exist and are line-specific.

The notice exempts, in general terms, certain raw materials, pharmaceuticals, civil aircraft and goods already covered by Section 232 duties, plus economy-specific items listed in Annex II. Whether a given salt, gypsum or cement tariff line falls inside those annexes is a question for the broker with the current HTSUS in front of them; this page does not state it either way.

US customs value is the transaction value of the goods, excluding international freight and insurance

in practice close to the FOB price. A 12.5 % duty on a bulk salt cargo is therefore 12.5 % of the goods' value at the Egyptian port, not of the CIF total. Confirm the valuation with the broker; the point is that FOB pricing makes the duty easy to see.

Why it matters for salt in particular

The United States is Egypt's largest salt export market by value: US$18.9 million of US$72.9 million in 2024, about 26 %, ahead of Ukraine (US$13.5 million) and Poland (US$4.7 million) (UN Comtrade via World Bank WITS, HS 2501). From the other side, Egypt supplied 6 % of US salt imports in 2021–24, the fourth-largest source after Mexico (26 %), Chile (23 %) and Canada (21 %) (US Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026). Most of that trade is bulk de-icing rock salt for the winter season — the ASTM D632 / AASHTO M-143 grades loaded at Alexandria and El Dekheila.

Cement is smaller: Egyptian Portland cement shipped to the United States was 42,614 t in 2024 (WITS, HS 2523.29), against 1.30 million t to Libya.

What changes in an offer, and what does not

FOB offers are unchanged.

The duty is levied at US entry on the importer of record. An FOB Alexandria or FOB El Dekheila price is the same number it was in June.

CIF and DDP comparisons change.

A buyer comparing an Egyptian cargo against Chilean or Mexican salt should add the Section 301 duty to the Egyptian landed cost — and check the rate that applies to the competing origin, since Chile is also in the 12.5 % tier and Mexico in the 10 % tier under the same notice.

Origin is decisive.

The additional rate follows the country of origin declared on the commercial invoice and certificate of origin. Egypt Globe Group issues the Egyptian Chamber of Commerce certificate of origin with every shipment; goods the group re-exports from other origins (imported potash, DAP or sulphur, for example) carry their own origin and their own rate.

The rate can change again.

Three different measures have applied to Egyptian goods in eighteen months. Fix the duty assumption in the contract at the date of the offer, and re-check it before each laycan.

Practical checklist for a US buyer

Ask your broker for the current additional-duty rate on your exact HTSUS line and whether it is listed in Annex I or Annex II of the 28 July 2026 notice.
Price the cargo FOB and add duty on the goods' value, not on freight.
Keep the certificate of origin, commercial invoice and per-lot Certificate of Analysis together — the same document set that clears the cargo also supports any later refund claim on the earlier measures.
For winter de-icing programmes, confirm laycans early: the Egyptian export season for road salt runs into the same months as the US Gulf and East Coast import season.

The USA import guide carries the documentation list and port notes; the industrial salt market brief has the production and trade figures behind this page.

Sources

Federal Register, Notice of Actions in Section 301 Investigations of Acts, Policies, and Practices of Various Economies Related to the Failure of Each Economy To Impose and Effectively Enforce a Prohibition on the Importation of Goods Produced With Forced Labor, 28 July 2026 — federalregister.gov
Honigman, Section 122 tariffs expire for many imports, but new Section 301 forced-labor tariffs on 60 economies replace them, effective July 24, 2026, 24 July 2026 — honigman.com
SCOTUSblog, Supreme Court strikes down tariffs, 20 February 2026 — scotusblog.com
World Bank WITS (UN Comtrade), Egypt exports 2024 — HS 2501 and HS 2523.29
US Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 — Salt — pubs.usgs.gov

Request a US-import quote →
De-icing salt grades →

Contents· 7 sections

01Overview
02Three tariffs in eighteen months
03What the 12.5 % sits on top of
04Why it matters for salt in particular
05What changes in an offer, and what does not
06Practical checklist for a US buyer
07Sources

Priced offers

Ready for a quote?

FOB / CIF / CFR pricing from 7 Egyptian ports — turnaround once stock, laycan and freight are confirmed.

Request Quote

More in News & Blog

2026 Buyer's Guide — How to Procure Egyptian Cement & Clinker for Export

Complete 2026 buyer's guide for procuring Egyptian cement and clinker — supplier qualification, spec confirmation, vessel chartering, L/C documentation, port loading, common pitfalls and how to avoid them.

2026 Buyer's Guide — How to Procure Egyptian Bulk Salt Internationally

2026 buyer's guide for procuring Egyptian bulk salt — grade selection, supplier qualification, vessel chartering, L/C documentation, port loading, pitfalls and how to avoid them.

Egyptian Cement vs Turkish vs Vietnamese vs Pakistani — Buyer's Comparison 2026

2026 head-to-head comparison of cement exports from Egypt, Türkiye, Vietnam, Pakistan — spec parity, freight economics, lead time, documentation differences. Practical buyer's guide for sourcing decisions.

Bulk Egyptian Sea Salt — A 2026 Buyer's Guide

Complete 2026 buyer's guide to bulk Egyptian sea salt. MOQ tables, FOB vs CIF vs CFR, 7 ports + lead times, sample order process, payment terms, L/C document set. Priced offers from the export desk.

Frequently asked questions

What is the US duty on Egyptian salt in 2026?

The normal (MFN) duty on salt, HTSUS 2501.00, is free. Since 24 July 2026 goods of Egyptian origin also carry an additional 12.5 % duty under Section 301 unless the tariff line is exempt under Annex I or Annex II of the 28 July 2026 Federal Register notice — confirm with your customs broker.

Why did the US tariff on Egyptian goods change three times in 2026?

The 10 % IEEPA "reciprocal" tariff was struck down by the US Supreme Court on 20 February 2026; a 10 % Section 122 surcharge replaced it for its maximum 150 days; from 24 July 2026 a Section 301 action on 60 economies applies, with Egypt in the 12.5 % tier.

Does the Section 301 duty change an FOB price?

No. The duty is paid at US entry by the importer of record, on the customs value of the goods (transaction value excluding international freight and insurance). An FOB Alexandria or El Dekheila price is unchanged; CIF and DDP landed-cost comparisons are what move.

How important is the US market for Egyptian salt?

It is the largest by value: US$18.9 million of US$72.9 million of Egyptian salt exports in 2024 (about 26 %, UN Comtrade via WITS), and Egypt supplied 6 % of US salt imports in 2021–24, fourth after Mexico, Chile and Canada (USGS).

Which competing salt origins pay the same US duty?

Under the same 24 July 2026 notice Chile is in the 12.5 % tier and Mexico in the 10 % tier; Canada is in the 10 % tier. Each origin's rate applies to the country of origin on the commercial invoice, so compare landed costs origin by origin.

Other questions? Email our export desk — the export desk replies to every request.