Aluminium will die if the EU does not remove import tariffs
Europe’s aluminium industry is at a turning point. In an article published by Libero, which directly reports the words of Mario Conserva, Secretary General of FACE, the urgent need for a change of course in European policies on the sector clearly emerges.
As Conserva underlines, EU import duties on primary aluminium and downstream products are currently penalising European transformers and SMEs in particular, without delivering any real industrial or geopolitical benefits. In a context where US tariffs are now a consolidated reality, Europe should act on the levers that are under its direct control, starting with the removal of tariffs on primary aluminium.
The article also highlights another structural critical issue repeatedly raised by FACE: the growing loss of secondary raw materials. Every year, around 1.2 million tonnes of aluminium scrap are exported outside the EU — a true drain of resources that weakens local industry and undermines competitiveness and the green transition.
For FACE, as reiterated by Mario Conserva, aluminium scrap must be recognised as a critical raw material, targeted export measures should be considered, and an industrial strategy that ensures availability of raw materials is needed. Without timely action, Europe risks losing not only production capacity, but also skills and strategic autonomy in a sector that is essential for the continent’s industrial and energy future.
