The Aluminum Association applauded a plan announced today by the United States and Mexico to combat the impact of unfairly traded aluminum in North America. Under the agreement, aluminum products smelted and cast in Belarus, China, Iran and Russia will no longer be permitted to enter the United States under the Section 232 exemption that Mexico enjoys as part of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
 
Charles Johnson, president & CEO of the Aluminum Association, released the following statement:
 
“Today’s announcement will help to safeguard North America as one of the best places in the world to make aluminum and aluminum products. Over the last decade, the industry has invested more than $10 billion in new and expanded plants in the United States, including nearly $200 million this year alone. North American aluminum firms enjoy several major structural advantages including some of the lowest carbon aluminum production in the world. By working with our fellow USMCA countries on strong trade enforcement, we can help drive continued growth and investment in the region – creating jobs and capturing increased demand expected in the coming years. This plan is an example of how regional cooperation still works. We appreciate the administration’s hard work on this issue and look forward to working with them on a robust implementation plan.”
 
Aluminum demand in North America (United States and Canada) was up 4.3% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2024, according to recent Aluminum Association data – the strongest results since 2022. Aluminum output is expected to grow by about 80% globally by 2050 thanks to demand for sustainable packaging, safe and efficient vehicles, greener buildings and vital infrastructure.

With sustainability an increasingly important driver of future demand for the material, the Aluminum Association recently completed a report, Pathways to Decarbonization: A North American Aluminum Roadmap, that lays out theoretical pathways to achieve industrywide carbon emission reductions consistent with the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Net Zero by 2050 goals. The report concluded that North America enjoys a significant carbon emissions advantage over much of the rest of the global aluminum industry. Moving forward, access to abundant clean energy and investment in new technologies will be central to hitting ambitious emissions targets by mid-century.