Aluminum Association applauds Mexico’s initiation of antidumping investigation on certain Chinese aluminium foil

The Aluminum Association responded today to the Government of Mexico’s recent initiation of an antidumping investigation on imports of certain Chinese aluminium foil. In a statement, Aluminum Association president & CEO Heidi Brock said:

“The Aluminum Association is pleased by the Government of Mexico’s decision to launch an antidumping investigation on imports of certain Chinese aluminum foil. The North American aluminum market is highly integrated, and it is vital the region work together to combat unfair trade practices and enforce rules-based trade. The U.S. aluminum industry has already seen real results from targeted and durable trade enforcement actions, and we are glad to see trading partners like Mexico demonstrate their commitment to rigorous and timely enforcement of global trade rules.”

In launching its antidumping investigation, the Government of Mexico designated China as a “non-market economy,” which reflects a determination that the subject country’s economy does not operate on market principles of cost or pricing structures. The Aluminum Association has long advocated for China to continue to be considered a non-market economy – a status the U.S. Department of Commerce maintained in 2017, in connection with its antidumping investigation of certain aluminium foil from China.

In connection with antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) petitions filed by the Aluminum Association Trade Enforcement Working Group, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) in March issued a unanimous determination that unfairly traded imports of certain aluminium foil from the China has materially injured the U.S. industry. As a result, the U.S. Department of Commerce issued unfair trade orders on aluminium foil imports from China, imposing antidumping duties ranging from 48.64 to 105.80 per cent and countervailing duties ranging from 17.14 to 80.52 per cent.

Imports of certain aluminium foil from China increased by nearly 40 per cent between 2014 and 2016, receding from the U.S. market only after the trade case was filed. China was the largest supplier of certain aluminium foil to the U.S. market in 2016, accounting for nearly 70 per cent of total U.S. imports of that product. Today, Chinese imports account for 23 per cent of U.S. foil imports.

The Aluminum Association continues to call for immediate government-to-government negotiations with China to address persistent overcapacity in both primary and semi-fabricated aluminium sectors.