Association News

The Trump Administration has extended the deadline for Section 232 tariff exemptions on certain imports from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the European Union. The president had been required to make a decision by April 30. 

“The Aluminum Association views the decision to extend the tariff exemption deadline for our vital trading partners beyond May 1 as a positive first step. But clearly more must be done to provide certainty to the market,” said Heidi Brock, president and CEO of the Aluminum Association. “We continue to call for permanent, quota-free exemptions from the Section 232 tariffs for all countries designated as market economies.”

Brock had previously submitted a letter to the Trump Administration outlining the domestic aluminum industry’s position. She said the chief objective of industry participants was to focus remedies on the primary culprit, China. 

“Constraining aluminum supply from trading partners who play by the rules could increase incentives for China to ramp up its illegally subsidized overcapacity by making Chinese imports more competitive," she said. "This is exactly the opposite of what we, and the White House, want to achieve.

"President Trump has a great deal of discretion and flexibility in how the Section 232 tariffs are ultimately implemented. He has the authority to adjust the scope, the countries impacted, the nature of the remedy and the period of time the restrictions are in place. The Aluminum Association looks forward to working with the administration to monitor market conditions and ensure that the approach meets our shared goal of a robust and thriving U.S. aluminum industry.”