U.S. exports of Metal Cans (NAICS 332431) totaled $42.6M in August 2026.
Importers of Metal Cans paid $12.7M in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 47.37% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule.
Last updated: August 2026 dataManufactured on high-speed seaming lines from tinplate or aluminum sheet, metal cans are a cornerstone of food, beverage, aerosol, and paint packaging — industries where container specifications (diameter, end type, coating, and pressure rating) are tightly controlled by end-user requirements. Section 232 tariff exposure on steel and aluminum inputs affects the landed cost of imported cans, and the high cube-to-value ratio of empty containers makes freight economics a dominant factor in sourcing strategy. Domestic production capacity is substantial, so offshore procurement is typically driven by specialty formats or cost arbitrage on specific SKUs.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
1.2K import shipments a month
Food-contact metal cans must comply with FDA regulations governing coatings and linings that contact food, including restrictions on certain epoxy-based coatings. Importers should obtain material safety data and compliance documentation from the foreign manufacturer confirming that interior coatings meet applicable FDA food-contact standards before the cans are filled domestically.
Empty metal cans have a very high volume-to-weight ratio, meaning containers fill by cube long before they reach weight limits. This makes ocean freight per-unit costs disproportionately high compared to denser goods, which is why most US buyers source cans domestically or from nearby suppliers unless a specialty format or significant price differential justifies the freight premium.
National industry 2 of 2 in naics industry 33243
National industry 332431 · $42.6M of $135.1M
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Exports · August 2026
destination
Canada and Mexico together take 78% of it.
customs district
Census does not publish district detail for this classification system.
origin
Census publishes state breakdowns for NAICS to the 4-digit level only. See NAICS 3324 for those.
entry
Census does not publish port detail for this classification system.
ImportsExports
Imports
$26.7MYoY · free account
Exports
$42.6MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $369.4M of Metal Cans and exported $363.7M.
Through August 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.