Aluminum Association dismayed as USMCA did not address 232 Tariff exemption

Aluminum Association president and CEO Heidi Brock issued a statement expressing disappointment as the Section 232 aluminium tariffs were not addressed during United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

She opined that this was the perfect opportunity for the U.S. to work with Canada and Mexico to provide a full exemption from the 232 aluminium tariffs without quotas on aluminium imported from those countries. She urged the U.S. to include the issue before the final agreement is signed.

She reiterated the significance of the integrated North American supply chains for the three countries and said that it is their collaboration for which they have been able to meet growing aluminium demand year over year.  The U.S. aluminium industry has some of the most competitive and innovative companies in the world but the country has a  deficit market and creating barriers within the integrated North American supply chain will threaten the industry growth.

Brock said that the current Section 232 tariffs are making U.S. aluminium industries less competitive on the world stage as it is harming the downstream sector. According to her, about 97 per cent of domestic aluminium industry jobs are in mid-and-downstream production and processing sector. Tariffs and quotas risk demand, growth and investment in the United States by creating raw material supply concerns and raising input prices.

“We will continue to review the specifics of the agreement and work towards tariff- and quota-free trade of aluminum with our North American trading partners,” she concluded.