The leaders of the aluminum associations of North America --  Heidi Brock, President & CEO, The Aluminum Association (U.S.); Fernando A. Garcia, President, IMEDAL (Mexico); Jean Simard, President & CEO, The Aluminium Association of Canada -- released a joint statement following the announced agreement to remove Section 232 tariffs on North American aluminum.

“We greatly appreciate the efforts of our respective governments to reinstate exemptions from Section 232 tariffs for North American aluminum. Removing tariffs, without quotas, is a major win for the entire industry and will support continued growth and investment throughout the region. We look forward to working with our governments to ensure that the implementation of this announcement guarantees robust, fair and rules-based trade of aluminum and aluminum products between our three countries. We are glad to see a commitment for improved coordination and monitoring within North America to safeguard against transshipment and the illegal evasion of duties. Our associations can play an important role assisting our governments in this effort by tracking and analyzing trade flow trends and industry data. As noted in our joint letter in March, the free, open and well-monitored trade of aluminum is a critical element of a successful U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). We look forward to working with leaders in each of our countries in the coming weeks and months to help implement USMCA. The next step is to come together to tackle the fundamental challenge facing aluminum producers around the world — unfairly subsidized overcapacity in China.”