Europe should be next to be exempted from U.S. section 232 tariffs for aluminium
Date
21 May 2019
Sections
Trade & Society
Brussels, 21 May 2019 - The U.S. administration just announced on Friday 17 May the lift of Section 232 tariffs for aluminium against Canada and Mexico. It is time to also exempt Europe from the 10% tariff on aluminium products, says European Aluminium.
“The EU is an important ally of the U.S. and a trusted and stable supply source for aluminium. European imports in no way represent a threat to the national security of the U.S. In this respect, we support the European Commission’s negotiation position to lift the Section 232 tariffs as a pre-requisite of any trade deal with the U.S.”, said European Aluminium Director General Gerd Götz.
Transatlantic trade flows are vital to the global aluminium industry and are growing in importance with the emergence of global value chains.
“The root cause of the main challenges faced by the aluminium industry is global overcapacity, in particular in China due to state intervention. Addressing this overcapacity requires a global negotiated solution and revision of WTO subsidy rules. European Aluminium and its members support a multilateral solution to tackle overcapacity”, continued Gerd Götz. In a report published earlier this year, the OECD has comprehensively described the distortions in the global aluminium value chain caused by Chinese state support. In particular, the report asserts that of the state support provided to the global companies examined, 85% has gone to five Chinese companies. European Aluminium has long been a leading voice advocating for a global negotiated solution to tackle overcapacity, together with its U.S., Canadian, Japanese, Mexican and Brazilian counterparts.
About European Aluminium:
European Aluminium, founded in 1981 and based in Brussels, is the voice of the aluminium industry in Europe. We actively engage with decision makers and the wider stakeholder community to promote the outstanding properties of aluminium, secure growth and optimise the contribution our metal can make to meeting Europe’s sustainability challenges. Through environmental and technical expertise, economic and statistical analysis, scientific research, education and sharing of best practices, public affairs and communication activities, European Aluminium promotes the use of aluminium as a material with permanent properties that is part of the solution to achieving sustainable goals, while maintaining and improving the image of the industry, of the material and of its applications among their stakeholders. Our 80+ members include primary aluminium producers; downstream manufacturers of extruded, rolled and cast aluminium; producers of recycled aluminium and national aluminium associations are representing more than 600 plants in 30 European countries. Aluminium products are used in a wide range of markets, including automotive, transport, high-tech engineering, building, construction and packaging. For further information, please contact: communications@european-aluminium.eu, +32 2 775 63 63