Aluminium tariffs: over €1.8 billion in annual costs for European industry
Over the last 20 years, the persistence of the additional cost associated with tariffs on raw aluminium – on average between €80 and €100 more per tonne – has made our industry structurally more vulnerable. This decision has amplified the impact of successive shocks: from the Covid-19 crisis, to the war in Ukraine, and right up to the most recent geopolitical tensions.
According to the study carried out by FACE and LUISS, this additional cost has already amounted to over €1 billion a year, with prices on the London Metal Exchange (LME) between €2,300 and €2,500. Today, with the LME having reached €3,600 and heading towards €4,000, the extra cost risks rising to as much as €1.8 billion a year.
The responsibility of the EU Commission, the governments of the Member States and the pro-tariff lobbies is clear: for years they have effectively supported a hidden subsidy through tariffs on raw aluminium, thereby weakening the entire European industrial system downstream of the light metal. The paradox is clear: with a dependence on primary aluminium imports exceeding 85% and a growing flow of scrap leaving Europe, we now risk facing even more serious consequences. We need an immediate change of direction.
