trump administration contemplating aluminum tariff

Although no specific date has been set, a U.S. tariff on imported aluminum from Canada could well be announced by this fall, say industry experts.

The Trump Administration had initially proposed a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports in 2018, but a year later exempted Canada through a series of exclusions.

Since then, aluminum imports from Canada into the U.S. have been surging. By the end of last year, just under $6 billion in such imports exempted from the initial 10 percent tariff had entered the U.S.

But U.S. aluminum producers say the Canadian aluminum exclusion process has put them at a competitive disadvantage.

In an open letter to the President, the American Primary Aluminum Association has asked that the 10 percent tariff be re-imposed.

“Now is the time to put America First and for President Trump to enforce our trade agreements, stop this unprecedented Canadian import surge, and stand strong with American workers by reinstating the 10 percent tariff on Canadian imports,” APAA chief executive Mark Duffy said in a statement.

But in a press conference, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said of the move to recompose the tariff: “This is something that again is a little difficult to understand, because the United States relies heavily on imports of Canadian aluminum, in particular for their domestic manufacturing capacity.”
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The Arlington, Virginia-based Aluminum Association has estimated that at least 50 percent of the materials going into the construction of a modern high-rise today are made up of aluminum products and used for everything from roofs and siding to door and window frames and facades.

By Garry Boulard

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