Charles Johnson, president & CEO of the Aluminum Association released the following statement following the Commerce Department’s expansion of aluminum derivative products covered by Section 232 tariffs:

"This expansion of Section 232 tariffs to cover a wider scope of products containing aluminum is a major win for U.S. aluminum makers. This targeted action gets to the heart of the problem facing the industry today -- too many countries are circumventing trade rules by importing unfairly produced and traded aluminum in end products. These ‘derivative’ products, which contain aluminum from China and other non-market actors, are too often making their way across the U.S. border. The Trump administration's decision to expand the list of covered products is exactly the kind of pro-growth trade policy U.S. aluminum producers need. Targeted enforcement, strong trade partnerships and energy reforms will advance U.S. economic and defense priorities by keeping American aluminum competitive, sustainable and growing for generations to come. We look forward to further adjustments to the current tariff policy that will drive future growth in our industry.”

The Aluminum Association, which represents companies making 70% of the aluminum and aluminum products in the United States, continues to advocate for strong, targeted trade enforcement to support the growing domestic industry. As discussed in a recent LinkedIn post, the U.S. industry supports a pro-growth trade policy to support continued domestic expansion and investment including: 

• Relief from universal 50% aluminum tariffs and secure, reliable access to affordable primary and secondary metal that the industry needs to grow.

• Trade policy that supports U.S. investments and keeps unfairly subsidized metal from China, Russia and other non-market economies out of American markets.

• A harmonized North American trade deal that aligns aluminum tariffs across borders while strengthening monitoring and enforcement mechanisms to stop transshipped metal.

• Energy policy to expand U.S. primary aluminum production, including affordable electricity, modernized permitting, and smart recycling policy.

To learn more, please visit www.aluminum.org/agenda.