federation of aluminium consumers in europe
AEC is urging the US to end Section 232 tariffs on imported aluminium
On 9th of June, the American Extruders Council (AEC) released an official statement urging the US to end Section 232 tariffs on imported aluminium, stressing that it failed to take action against the bigger threat from China and harmed considerably American users and consumers of aluminium.
FACE observed that the AEC position against the U.S. Section 232 tariff exclusion echoed the situation we have in Europe, and calls on EU downstream companies to remain mobilised against Europe’s 6% import tariff the same way the American extruders are now fighting against Section 232’s 10% tariff.
Two years ago, when the US Administration decided to introduce a tariff on primary metal, FACE predicted that this measure would harm the downstream US aluminium market as the EU 6% import tariff on unwrought aluminium does for European companies.
FACE has long advocated for the removal of the 6% tariff on unwrought aluminium in Europe.
Since the enforcement of Section 232, U.S. companies are suffering the same scenario than their European counterparts.
As in Europe, U.S. extruders are increasingly dependent from primary aluminium imports. This global trend has been observed in all western countries
AEC has made its position clear in a letter sent to U.S. Secretary of Commerce. They claim that the 232 aluminium tariff is a failure: the path taken by the Trump administration has proved both ineffective and counterproductive.
According to Tom Dobbings, president & CEO of the Aluminium Association, “President Trump and Secretary Ross have repeatedly made clear their commitment to strong domestic aluminum manufacturing and pushing back on China’s industrial policies that hurt American workers. Unfortunately, the Section 232 product exclusion system, as currently implemented, is actively undermining these goals. While we have long opposed the use of across-the-board tariffs on aluminum, we clearly should not be in the situation we are today where the policy is actively hurting the industry it is intended to help.”
To read the original Official Statement of AEC, click here.
