The Trump administration has moved to provide targeted tariff relief for certain equipment categories affected by its broader steel, aluminum and copper import duties, temporarily lowering rates on agricultural equipment, certain residential HVAC systems and select mobile industrial machinery.

A June 1 presidential proclamation expands the category of derivative steel and aluminum products eligible for a temporarily reduced 15% duty. The change applies to agricultural equipment and certain heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and components that are predominantly for residential use. The relief takes effect for goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, at 12:01 a.m. EDT on June 8 and runs through Dec. 31, 2027.

The proclamation also temporarily modifies tariffs on mobile industrial equipment and machinery, while creating a lower 10% rate for products that meet the administration’s revised U.S.-origin metals threshold. Under the new rule, a product can qualify as made “entirely” from American aluminum, steel or copper if those metals account for at least 85% of the covered metal content by weight — down from a previous 95% threshold.

The proclamation also adds aluminum lithographic plates and steel racks to derivative product coverage, meaning some distributors may face new tariff exposure even as others see relief. More broadly, the administration is maintaining its Section 232 tariff framework, which it says is intended to support domestic metals production and address national security concerns.

MDM Analysis

For distributors, the move should ease some landed-cost pressure in tariff-sensitive categories, particularly farm equipment, HVAC replacement components and some material-handling or mobile equipment lines. That could help stabilize quotes, reduce pass-through price increases and support customer demand in sectors where elevated equipment costs have delayed purchases. The impact, however, is likely to be uneven. Relief is temporary, product-specific and still leaves a 15% tariff in place for many covered goods rather than eliminating duties outright.

Industry observers framed the adjustment as a partial rollback of tariff pressure on equipment used in farming, construction, logistics and building systems. AP reported that the administration lowered tariffs on agricultural equipment such as combines and harvesters and HVAC systems from 25% to 15%, while expanding the lower-rate category to include mobile industrial equipment such as bulldozers and forklifts.