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Re:

Beef and Most Fertilizers Were Exempt From Trump’s February 2026 Tariff Surcharge

The February 2026 tariff proclamation exempted specified beef and fertilizer classifications—not every product in those categories. Its schedule changes were set to end July 24, 2026.
From TheFinanceBase Team3 min to read
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Under a temporary U.S. import surcharge announced on February 20, 2026, certain beef and fertilizer imports were excluded—but only when they matched listed tariff classifications or qualified under a separate trade-agreement exception. The 10% surcharge took effect February 24, and the proclamation set July 24, 2026, as the end date for the related tariff-schedule changes. That announcement alone does not establish what tariff rules applied after that date.

What the February 2026 tariff announcement did

On February 20, 2026, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation imposing a temporary 10% ad valorem surcharge on covered imports under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, effective February 24. The proclamation specified a 150-day period and set July 24, 2026, as the end date for the related changes to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), unless they were suspended, modified, or terminated earlier, or extended by Congress. The proclamation states: “I impose, for a period of 150 days, a temporary import surcharge of 10 percent ad valorem, as described below, on articles imported into the United States, effective February 24, 2026.”

The date matters: the February measure is not evidence of the tariff regime in effect in October 2026. The available official materials establish the announced period and end date, but not what rules replaced or followed it.

What “beef and most fertilizers exempt” means

The exceptions were not blanket exemptions based on everyday product names. The proclamation’s annexes identify goods by HTSUS provisions, and Annex II says that only goods properly classified under the listed provisions are excluded. The Annex II tariff list is therefore more important for a particular shipment than whether it is commonly described as beef or fertilizer. The White House’s fact sheet summarizes the categories, but does not replace the tariff schedule.

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The proclamation explained that exceptions reflected factors such as limited domestic supply at reasonable prices, reliance on imported raw materials, avoiding serious supply disruptions, or a judgment that the surcharge would be unnecessary or ineffective for the purposes of Section 122. Its stated rationale was not a claim that every product in a broad category was exempt.

Which fertilizer products the contemporaneous report listed

Farm Policy News, summarizing Argus Media reporter Taylor Zavala, named these nine fertilizer products as excluded from the new surcharge under the February schedule:

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  • Urea
  • Ammonium nitrate
  • UAN (urea ammonium nitrate)
  • Ammonium sulfate
  • Triple superphosphate (TSP)
  • Diammonium phosphate (DAP)
  • Monoammonium phosphate (MAP)
  • Muriate of potash (MOP)
  • Sulfate of potash (SOP)

The same account said ammonia, sulfur, and sulfuric acid were not generally exempt under that schedule unless they qualified for USMCA treatment. This list is a contemporary summary, not classification advice: the legal tariff schedule and the shipment’s applicable HTSUS classification control. Farm Policy News’ account attributes the itemized list to Argus reporting.

Other exceptions that could affect a shipment

The proclamation also excluded qualifying goods of Canada and Mexico that received duty-free treatment under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), as well as goods subject to Section 232 import restrictions. These are separate routes to an exception; a product’s country of shipment alone does not establish that it qualifies as a good of Canada or Mexico under USMCA. Annex II sets out the listed tariff provisions and exceptions.

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In the report’s account of Argus data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Canada and Mexico supplied about 72% of U.S. sulfuric-acid imports in 2025, while Canada supplied 55% of U.S. ammonia imports that year. Those are attributed 2025 import shares, not tariff rates or evidence that all such shipments qualified for USMCA treatment. Farm Policy News reported the figures.

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How to check whether a specific import qualified

For a shipment covered by the February measure, the relevant checks are:

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  1. Classification: Match the product’s exact HTSUS classification against the provisions in Annex II. The annex states that the listed provisions determine coverage.
  2. Origin and USMCA eligibility: Determine the goods’ country of origin and whether they qualified for USMCA duty-free treatment; merely arriving from Canada or Mexico is not enough to establish eligibility.
  3. Section 232 status: Check whether the goods were subject to Section 232 import restrictions, another stated exception category.
  4. Entry date: Compare the import entry date with the surcharge’s February 24, 2026 effective date and the proclamation’s July 24, 2026 end date for the related schedule changes, while accounting for any earlier suspension, modification, or termination or congressional extension.

The annex directs questions about particular tariff classifications to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). For an actual entry, consult the applicable tariff schedule and CBP guidance rather than relying on a general product label or a secondary article’s list.

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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