North American Aluminum Associations Urge Full Tariff Exemptions Before USMCA
ARLINGTON, VA -- The Aluminum Association today released a joint letter with the Aluminium Association of Canada and IMEDAL calling for full exemptions from the Section 232 remedy – no tariffs or quotas – for aluminum products within the North American market before signing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
The full text of the letter is below. You can download a pdf of the letter here.
To:
President Donald J. Trump, United States of America
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canada
President Enrique Peña Nieto, Mexico
President-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Mexico
Dear Mr. President –
On behalf of the North American aluminum industry, we the undersigned association leaders congratulate you on reaching an initial agreement on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). We support a modernized, trilateral agreement that recognizes the importance of the integrated North American supply chain and enables the aluminum industry to meet growing demand year over year.
We are now asking that you work together expeditiously with the other North American leaders to resolve the national security concerns related to the Section 232 tariffs on aluminum products within North America, and to ensure the United States reinstates the exemptions from the aluminum tariffs for Canada and Mexico. This will allow our countries to continue to grow and invest in the aluminum industry, supporting the 852,000 direct and indirect jobs in our region. The USMCA cannot work for the aluminum industry or our many downstream customers without exempting Canada and Mexico from the 232 tariffs or quotas. (Please see attached letter)
We are glad to see the United States address illegally subsidized imports of aluminum from China through its anti-dumping investigations. Likewise, Canada recently moved to align its country of origin marking regime for steel and aluminum products to prevent transshipment and diversion of aluminum and steel. Mexico has initiated an anti-dumping case on aluminum foil imports from China.
Our respective governments recognize the need to protect against transshipment and continue to take action, and we believe that continued cooperation on this front will address the national security concerns raised by the Section 232 on aluminum imports. Tariffs and other trade measures to limit the trade of aluminum products within the region are no longer needed.
We urge you to agree to full exemptions from the Section 232 remedy – no tariffs or quotas – for aluminum products within the North American market before the agreement is signed on November 30, 2018. We look forward to supporting our respective governments as you work together to address the fundamental problem of Chinese aluminum overcapacity.