Importing Tinplate Cans into the US in 2026: The Documents Checklist

XYH CAN · January 2027 · 4 min read

Fifty-six percent of what we ship goes to North America, so we fill in these documents every week. Most first-time importers are not worried about the cans; they are worried about the paperwork. This is the list, what each document does, and who produces it. It is not legal advice. Your licensed customs broker owns the classification, the duty calculation and the filing. Our job is to make their job easy.

Classification: HTS 7310

Empty tinplate cans of under 50 litres fall under HTS heading 7310 (tanks, casks, drums, cans, boxes and similar containers, of iron or steel). The two subheadings buyers see are:

We state our suggested classification on the commercial invoice. Your broker confirms it; they are the one signing the entry.

Section 232. US Section 232 duties apply to steel containers from 6 April 2026. We do not quote duty rates on this site or in quotes, because the rate is the broker's determination at the time of entry and it can change. What we do is provide complete, accurate documents, quote FOB, CIF and DDP side by side so you can compare, and offer smaller, more frequent shipments so that duty and cash flow are spread rather than paid in one block. More on import support.

The documents checklist

Our compliance file (coating test report, EU DoC, BPA-NI statement) is described on the compliance page. Empty cans are packaging, not food, so ask your broker whether any FDA food-facility or prior-notice filing applies to your shipment; the answer depends on how you import and what else is in the container. Do not take a factory's word for it, including ours.

FOB vs CIF vs DDP, in plain terms

DDP is the simplest and usually the most expensive line by line, because someone is carrying the duty and clearance risk and pricing for it. We will quote any two or all three so you can see the gap. We never promise to absorb duty.

A landed-cost worksheet

Put these lines in a spreadsheet before you compare suppliers. A low FOB unit price can lose to a higher one once freight and duty are included. MOQ and pack quantities per size, which drive the freight line, are on can sizes and lids.

1. FOB unit price × quantity
2. Ocean freight (per container or per CBM for LCL)
3. Marine insurance
4. US duty and any Section 232 amount (your broker's figure)
5. Broker and ISF fees
6. Port, terminal and handling charges
7. Inland trucking to your warehouse
8. Bank charges on the T/T deposit and balance
9. Divide the total by pieces received = landed cost per can

If you fill it in for two suppliers side by side, you have a decision that does not depend on anyone's sales pitch.

Why smaller, more frequent shipments

Industrial buyers rank lead time as their first priority (Thomas). Our production is 25–30 days after approval, the same for first and repeat orders. For many customers a quarterly shipment that matches real sell-through beats one annual container that ties up cash and warehouse space, and spreads duty payments. We are happy to hold a repeat spec and run it on a schedule.

Straight talk

If a supplier offers to mark cans as another origin, under-declare value, or split invoices to reduce duty, walk away. It is your name on the entry, not theirs. We will not do it, and we will not help with it.

Next step

Tell us your port and whether you want FOB, CIF or DDP, and we will quote the options together. /quote/ or sales@xyhcan.com.