RE: 20264 Jan 2026 15:23
Additional U.S. 25% Tariff on Chinese-Origin Permanent Magnets started January 1, 2026.
The permanent magnet industry is approaching a major regulatory shift, one that has been quietly building for years but may still be flying under the radar for many OEMs, engineers, and supply-chain teams. While the headlines have focused on the Trump Administration’s 2025 “Executive Tariffs,” another set of tariffs, the long-planned Section 301 increases, will activate January 1, 2026.
These are separate from the executive actions, and their impact on commercial permanent magnets will be substantial.
Why This Tariff Increase May Be Going Unnoticed.
Most public discussion has focused on the IEEPA-based Executive Tariffs that imposed sweeping increases in 2025. But Section 301 tariffs follow a different legal pathway and have been on a staged implementation track for years.
Because they are not part of the executive action, and because magnet-specific HTS codes have been exempt until now, many users have not yet realized that the 25% Section 301 duty hits permanent magnets on January 1, 2026.
This change is additive to any pre-existing import duties.
Section 301 Tariffs: What’s Changing in 2026
Separate From Executive Tariffs, Section 301 authority comes from the U.S. Trade Act of 1974 and operates independently from presidential tariff actions. Unlike the 2025 Executive Tariffs:
* Section 301 has its own review cycle
* It does not expire with a change in administration
* It requires Congressional action to repeal
This makes it far more stable and more difficult to reverse, even if political conditions further evolve.
Phase-In Timeline
Permanent magnets under:
HTS 8505.11 (SmCo)
HTS 8505.19 (NdFeB and others)
have been exempt from Section 301 duties for years, but that exemption ends on January 1, 2026, at which point:
An additional 25% tariff will be applied on top of all standard duty rates and any Executive Tariffs in effect at that time.
This will materially change the landed cost of nearly every commercial magnet imported from China.
Understanding the 2026 Section 301 Tariffs on Permanent Magnets: What the Market Needs to Know
https://www.duramag.com/techtalk/magnet-news/understanding-the-2026-section-301-tariffs-on-permanent-magnets-what-the-market-needs-to-know/
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