USMCA aluminum coil and sheet from Mexico, for US buyers
Almexa Aluminio makes aluminum coil, sheet, plate and circles from metal it casts and rolls at its plant in Cuautitlán Izcalli, Mexico, and exports to the United States and Canada. Here is what USMCA origin means for coil and sheet, how Section 232 applies to them as of October 22, 2026, and which documents ship with each lot, with the official source behind each rule.
Updated 2026-10-22
In short: aluminum coil and sheet over 0.2 mm thick are classified in heading 76.06 of the tariff schedule, and the USMCA rule of origin for that heading is "a change to heading 76.06 from any other heading" (USMCA, Annex 4-B). Almexa casts its own rolling slab and rolls it into coil and sheet in Mexico; under the current USMCA rules of origin, its products meet the origin content the agreement requires. USMCA origin does not lift Section 232: since April 6, 2026, aluminum articles such as coil and sheet pay an additional 50% on their full customs value, from Mexico and Canada too (Proclamation 11021 of April 2, 2026).
- Section 232 on coil and sheet
- 50% of full value
- USMCA rule, heading 76.06
- Change of heading
- Lead time from the plant
- About a month
- Installed capacity
- 20,000 t/year
Who is Almexa
Almexa Aluminio, S.A. de C.V. is Mexico's aluminum rolling mill, in Cuautitlán Izcalli, State of Mexico, making aluminum since 1944 and part of Grupo Vasconia. It melts primary ingot and scrap, direct-chill casts rolling slab, and hot and cold rolls it, with 20,000 metric tons per year of installed capacity (Almexa technical sheet, September 2026). Quotes are in US dollars per metric ton.
| Product | Thickness | Width or diameter |
|---|---|---|
| Coil, 1000 and 3000 series | 0.0177 to 0.1575 in (0.45 to 4.0 mm) | 6.30 to 48 in (160 to 1,219 mm); 20 in (508 mm) inside diameter |
| Coil, 5000 series | 0.0197 to 0.1575 in (0.50 to 4.0 mm) | 6.30 to 36 in (160 to 914 mm) |
| Sheet, 1000 and 3000 series | 0.0197 to 0.1575 in (0.5 to 4.0 mm) | 11.97 to 48 in (304 to 1,219 mm), up to 120 in (3,048 mm) long |
| Sheet, 5000 series | 0.0197 to 0.1575 in (0.5 to 4.0 mm) | 11.97 to 36 in (304 to 914 mm), up to 120 in long |
| Plate | 0.157 to 13 in (4 to 330 mm) | On request |
| Circles | 0.0220 to 0.1575 in (0.56 to 4.0 mm) | 5.51 to 48 in (140 to 1,219 mm); 5000 series up to 36 in |
| Strip and blanks | Within the coil range | To your width or shape |
| Hot band for re-rollers | About 0.31 in (8 mm), F temper | Set widths from 30.7 to 49.2 in (780 to 1,250 mm); 5000 series up to 42.9 in |
Alloys: 1050, 1100, 1350, 3003, 3004, 3104 and 3105 in O, H1X, H2X and H3X tempers, and 5005, 5052 and 5754 in O and H3X. Heat-treatable alloys such as 6061 are not made at Almexa.
- Aluminum coil 1000, 3000 and 5000 series
- Aluminum sheet and plate cut to size, up to 48 by 120 in
- Aluminum circles for deep drawing and spinning
- Aluminum hot band for re-rollers
- Alloys Almexa makes 1100, 3003, 3105 and 5052 compared
What USMCA origin means for coil and sheet
Every good has its own USMCA rule of origin. For aluminum plates, sheets and strip over 0.2 mm thick, heading 76.06, the rule is a change in tariff classification: "A change to heading 76.06 from any other heading" (USMCA, Annex 4-B, chapter 76). Rolling slab is unwrought aluminum of heading 76.01, which the tariff schedule calls "sheet ingot" when it is alloy slab (HTSUS chapter 76, statistical note 3), so rolling it into coil or sheet changes the heading.
Almexa casts its slab from ingot and scrap and rolls it at the same plant in Cuautitlán Izcalli. Under the current USMCA rules of origin, Almexa's products meet the origin content the agreement requires. Whether your finished part qualifies under its own rule is determined by your trade compliance team or customs broker.
- Regular duty: USMCA-originating aluminum sheet and coil are free of the 3% general duty of HTSUS subheading 7606.12.30, alloy and not clad (HTSUS 2026, Revision 21).
- Vehicles: for a passenger vehicle or truck to be originating, at least 70% of its producer's purchases of steel and of aluminum in the region, by value, must be originating goods (USMCA, Appendix to Annex 4-B, Article 6).
- Section 232: USMCA origin does not change it for coil and sheet, as the next section explains.
Does USMCA origin exempt aluminum coil and sheet from Section 232?
No. Aluminum articles, which include the plates, sheets and strip of heading 76.06, pay an additional 50% Section 232 duty on their full customs value, whatever their USMCA status (Proclamation 11021, clauses 1 and 2, in effect since April 6, 2026; CBP message CSMS 68253075 of April 3, 2026). Mexico's earlier exemption ended on March 12, 2025 (Proclamation 10895 of February 10, 2025).
The reduced treatment for USMCA goods in Proclamation 11032, 25% on non-US content only with a 15% floor, covers the mobile industrial equipment in its Annex I-C, not coil and sheet. As of October 22, 2026, no proclamation has changed the 50% rate for aluminum articles from Mexico.
- Section 232 aluminum tariffs, updated October 2026 rates in force, reporting rules and key dates with their documents
What your importer declares and what Almexa provides
US Customs and Border Protection requires the importer to report, for each entry line, the primary and secondary country of smelt of the aluminum and the country where it was last cast (CSMS 55424218 of March 9, 2023, confirmed in CSMS 68253075 of April 3, 2026). Aluminum entries also need an automatic import license from the Department of Commerce, which asks for the same countries and does not accept "unknown" (19 CFR 361.101 and 361.103).
For Almexa coil and sheet, the country of cast is Mexico: the slab is cast and rolled in Cuautitlán Izcalli. Mexico does not produce primary aluminum (IMEDAL, May 2024), so the country of smelt is that of the primary ingot, which Almexa buys already imported from traders in Mexico; it is backed by the ingot producer's certificates and declared by the direct importer to Mexican authorities in the Automatic Aluminum Import Notice (AAA).
| Document | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Mill test report | Alloy, temper, chemistry and mechanical properties of the lot |
| Plant statement | That the lot was cast and rolled at Almexa's plant in Cuautitlán Izcalli, Mexico |
| Lot traceability | The path from casting to the delivered coil, sheet or circle |
| Country of smelt | Backed by the ingot producer's certificates; ask at quotation and we tell you which documents back your lot |
| System certificates | ISO 9001:2015 by Intertek, valid until February 4, 2027, and the Made in Mexico authorization of March 6, 2026 |
- How to document the country of smelt and cast what customs asks and who issues each document
- Quality certifications ISO 9001, Clean Industry and Made in Mexico, to download
Lead time and what to send for a quote
Lead time is about a month from the plant, with no ocean transit, and each quote confirms the date for your product (Almexa sales team, September 2026).
To quote, send alloy and temper, thickness, width or diameter, form (coil, sheet, circle or strip), tons per order and per month, what the part is for, the delivery point and whether you need origin documentation for export. The quote form has a box for that last point.
- Request a quote a plant sales executive replies with price per metric ton, delivery date and origin documentation
Sources
- USMCA, Chapter 4 Rules of Origin, with Annex 4-B and its Appendix (USTR) rule for heading 76.06; Appendix, Article 6, on steel and aluminum.
- Proclamation 11021 of April 2, 2026, 91 FR 18201 full customs value and annexes, from April 6, 2026.
- Proclamation 11032 of June 1, 2026, 91 FR 34085 Annex I-C, USMCA non-US content and the 85% threshold, from June 8, 2026.
- Proclamation 10895 of February 10, 2025, 90 FR 9807 25% and end of the Mexico and Canada exemptions on March 12, 2025.
- CBP, CSMS 68253075, April 3, 2026 filing guidance for Proclamation 11021; smelt and cast reporting continues.
- CBP, CSMS 55424218, March 9, 2023 definitions of country of smelt and country of cast.
- 19 CFR part 361, Aluminum Import Monitoring and Analysis System (eCFR) aluminum import license; consulted October 22, 2026.
- Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, 2026 Revision 21, chapter 76 (USITC) heading 7606, subheading 7606.12.30 and statistical note 3; consulted October 22, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an aluminum rolling mill in Mexico that sells coil to US buyers?
Yes. Almexa Aluminio makes aluminum coil, sheet, plate and circles from metal it casts and rolls at its plant in Cuautitlán Izcalli, Mexico, and exports to the United States and Canada. Quotes are in US dollars per metric ton, with a mill test report and origin documentation for each lot.
Is aluminum coil and sheet from Mexico USMCA-originating?
Almexa's is: under the current USMCA rules of origin, its products meet the origin content the agreement requires, because the slab is cast and rolled into coil and sheet in Mexico. The USMCA rule for heading 76.06 is a change from any other heading (Annex 4-B). Whether your finished part qualifies is determined by your trade compliance team.
Do USMCA aluminum coil and sheet from Mexico pay Section 232?
Yes. Since April 6, 2026, aluminum articles such as coil and sheet pay an additional 50% Section 232 duty on their full customs value, including USMCA-qualifying goods from Mexico (Proclamation 11021). USMCA origin removes the regular 3% duty, not Section 232.
What is the country of smelt and cast of Almexa aluminum?
The country of cast is Mexico, because the slab is cast and rolled in Cuautitlán Izcalli. The country of smelt is that of the primary ingot: it is backed by the ingot producer's certificates and declared by the direct importer in Mexico's Automatic Aluminum Import Notice (AAA). Ask for it at quotation.
How long does an order from Almexa take?
About a month from the plant, with no ocean transit, according to Almexa's sales team (September 2026). Each quote confirms the date for your product and volume.