Trade Statement of The Aluminum Association
The members of The Aluminum Association are domestic producers of
primary and secondary ingot and aluminum mill products, and their
suppliers. Mill products include sheet and plate, foil, extrusions,
forgings and impacts, electrical conductor, wire, rod, and bar. The
membership also includes producers of master alloys and additives and
aluminum pigments and powders. The Association is a primary source for
statistics, technical standards, and information on aluminum and the
aluminum industry in the United States. While Association member
companies conduct business worldwide, the U.S. aluminum industry ranks
fifth in the world in annual primary aluminum production capacity. In
2009, it produced approximately 1.73 million metric tons of primary
aluminum.
Overview
The members of the Aluminum Association are fully committed to
a fair and open world market for aluminum. The Aluminum Association
strongly supports the initiation of global trade negotiations in the
World Trade Organization (WTO). The Association supports a comprehensive
approach to the phased-in reduction and elimination of tariffs over a
multi-year period, not to exceed 10 years. In addition, we believe that
all aluminum producing, importing, and exporting countries should
participate in the Round, and that no country be required to reduce or
eliminate its tariffs on a unilateral basis.
Background
The aluminum industry is global. The largest aluminum producers
are multinational companies with production, fabrication, and
distribution facilities around the world. During 2009, world aluminum
primary production totaled an estimated 37.3 million metric tons.
The leading producing countries include the United States, Russia,
Canada, the European Union, China, Australia, Brazil, Norway, South
Africa, Venezuela, the Gulf States (Bahrain and United Arab Emirates),
India, and New Zealand; together they represent more than 90 percent of
global primary aluminum production. The largest aluminum markets are
North America, Europe. and East Asia.
North America is both a major importer and exporter of aluminum.
Approximately 9.8 billion pounds of the North American supply of
aluminum was imported in 2009 from foreign producers in the form of
primary ingot, semi-fabricated products, and scrap, while North
American exports amounted to 6.3 billion pounds of shipments in the form
of ingot, scrap, and semi-fabricated products.
The free flow of aluminum products on a global scale is vital to the
future success of the U.S. aluminum industry.
