Aluminum Association president & CEO Tom Dobbins issued the following statement in response to today’s announcement by the Office of the U.S. Trade  Representative (USTR) removing recently reimplemented tariffs on imports of unwrought, or P1020, aluminum from Canada into the United States. The decision was made after “the United States … determined that trade in non-alloyed, unwrought aluminum is likely to normalize in the last four months of 2020, with imports declining sharply from the surges experienced earlier in the year,” consistent with industry expectations.

“Removing these disruptive and unnecessary tariffs on Canadian aluminum was the right decision for the U.S. aluminum industry and its 162,000 workers. The Aluminum Association and its members support tariff and quota free trade within North America consistent with the recently implemented U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Especially as the industry continues to recover from the worst of the COVID-driven demand disruptions, it is vital that we keep North American aluminum supply chains open and unencumbered,” said Dobbins.

The Aluminum Association, the Aluminium Association of Canada, more than 15 U.S. aluminum industry CEOs, organized labor groups and countless industry groups all support the continued free flow of metal in North America consistent with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Both Canada and the U.S. have shown a strong commitment to trade enforcement by investing in aluminum import monitoring systems. The Aluminum Association and the Aluminium Association of Canada support continued import monitoring throughout the USMCA region including Mexico. 

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About The Aluminum Association
The Aluminum Association represents aluminum production and jobs in the United States, ranging from primary production to value added products to recycling, as well as suppliers to the industry. The association is the industry’s leading voice, representing companies that make 70 percent of the aluminum and aluminum products shipped in North America. The association develops global standards, business intelligence, sustainability research and industry expertise for member companies, policymakers and the general public. The aluminum industry helps manufacturers produce sustainable and innovative products, including more fuel-efficient vehicles, recyclable packaging, greener buildings and modern electronics.  In the U.S., the aluminum industry supports $174 billion in economic activity and nearly 700,000 jobs. For more information visit https://www.aluminum.org, on Twitter @AluminumNews or at Facebook.com/AluminumAssociation.