G20, EU-US agreement on aluminium. FACE: “Important milestone. The EU must be coherent and eliminate import tariffs on unwrought aluminium”

“Yesterday, the US and the EU reached a very important and strategic agreement from the environmental, competitiveness and employment points of view. However, the EU must be coherent and immediately suspend its absurd import tariffs on unwrought aluminium, which heavily penalise the EU downstream aluminium industry” – commented FACE – the Federation of Aluminium Consumers in Europe – as regards the EU-US trade agreement on the suspension of duties on raw materials, including aluminium. On this occasion, the EU and the US also opened a negotiation of a global agreement focused on sustainability.

“Authorities should encourage the consumption of green aluminium by defining CO2 content thresholds and transparency rules, and by penalising high-carbon products or unfair green goods, those manufactured abroad with state aid and other distorting practices. This must be a vital issue of the upcoming transatlantic talks. Meantime, the EU must accelerate the resolution of another major problem for Europe, its own 3-6% import tariffs on unwrought aluminium, which are maintained while there is 75% import dependence for primary aluminium in the EU. This situation not only is economically illogical but also harmful to the industry as it creates overcosts in a low margin industry where the purchase of the raw material – unwrought aluminium – represents up to 80% of production costs” added Mario Conserva, Secretary-General of FACE.

“In this way, the competitiveness of the European aluminium industrial value-chain essentially made up of small and medium-sized companies, will be protected and green aluminium trade will be boosted, reducing also imports of high-carbon aluminium products from China or India. Hence, we could improve the resilience and innovative dynamism of European players and ensure that the Green Economy develops on a fair level playing field, bringing responsible prosperity to all”. concluded Mr Conserva.

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