PRESS RELEASE – for immediate release
Federation of Aluminium Consumers in Europe – FACE
Wednesday 19 March 2025, Brussels
PRESS RELEASE
EU TARIFFS ON ALUMINIUM WHEELS FROM MOROCCO.
MARIO CONSERVA (FACE): “YES TO INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, BUT NO TO DISTORTIVE PRACTICES”
“FACE welcomes the European Commission’s decision to impose countervailing duties on imports of aluminium wheels from Morocco that have been unfairly subsidised and have also benefited from unfair Chinese financing schemes under the Belt & Road strategy,” said Mario Conserva, President of the Federation of Aluminium Consumers in Europe (FACE), in a statement.
“Morocco,” Conserva continued, “is a very important partner for the EU, playing a key role as a pivotal country between Africa, the Atlantic, and Europe, and hosting massive industrial projects. It is also a strategic player in Africa and the renewable energy sector. While the EU must improve its relations with Morocco and expand collaborations, Morocco must respect the rules and, as a WTO member, contribute to a fair international trade system.”
“The resilience of rules-based international trade is now a special responsibility that must be shared and upheld by like-minded countries in the face of growing international fragmentation, protectionism, and trade wars, including the use of trade as a tool of coercion,” he continued.
“It is significant that in the Commission’s decision, the countervailing duties imposed on imports of aluminium wheels from Morocco are much higher when these unfairly subsidised products have also benefited from unfair Chinese financing under the Belt & Road initiative. China is already harming its trading partners on a global scale with its overcapacity policy, which distorts trade, creates unfair competition, damages the climate and environment, and puts pressure on its banking system, increasing the risk of a systemic crisis.”
“It is unacceptable that China, under the guise of aid and cooperation with emerging and developing countries, also exports its unfair trade practices, using countries like Morocco as intermediaries to eliminate European manufacturers through unfair trade practices. FACE,” Conserva concluded, “appreciates the European Commission’s determination in firmly combating unfair behaviour while maintaining the most ambitious and virtuous global collaborations for sustainable development with our international partners.”
The press release is available here.
