Aluminum Association Applauds Final Affirmative Determinations In Unfair Trade Investigations On Common Alloy Aluminum Sheet From China

Department of Commerce Finds Aluminum Sheet from China Is Sold in U.S. at Unfairly Low Prices and Subsidized by Government of China

ARLINGTON, VA – Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced its final determinations that imports of common alloy aluminum sheet from China are being sold at less than fair value (or “dumped”) in the United States and that aluminum sheet producers in China are benefitting from actionable government subsidies.  The final antidumping and countervailing duty margins calculated by the Commerce Department are as follows:

The next step in the trade cases will be the United States International Trade Commission’s (USITC) final phase determination of whether imports from China are a cause of material injury or threaten to materially injure domestic producers of common alloy sheet.  The USITC is tentatively scheduled to vote on December 5, 2018.    

The Commerce Department’s determinations mark the end of its proceedings, which were self-initiated by the agency on November 28, 2017, the first time in more than a quarter of a century that the Commerce Department exercised its authority to initiate unfair trade investigations without a domestic industry filing a petition requesting relief. 

“The Aluminum Association and its members are extremely pleased with the Commerce Department’s final determinations that common alloy aluminum sheet from China is being sold unfairly in the United States,” said Heidi Brock, President and CEO of the Aluminum Association.  “We appreciate Secretary Ross’s leadership in self-initiating these investigations and in enforcing rules-based global trade.  U.S. manufacturers of common alloy aluminum sheet are among the most competitive producers in the world, but they cannot compete against products that are sold at unfairly low prices and subsidized by the Government of China.”

Common alloy aluminum sheet is a flat-rolled aluminum product that is used in a variety of applications, including transportation, building and construction, infrastructure, electrical, and marine applications where its strength, relatively light-weight, formability, and resistance to corrosion are essential.  Common uses for the product under investigation include gutters and downspouts, building facades, street signs and license plates, electrical boxes, pontoon boats, and tractor trailers for trucks.  Aluminum sheet used in the manufacture of beverage cans is excluded from the scope of the investigations.

The Aluminum Association Common Alloy Aluminum Sheet Trade Enforcement Working Group is represented in these actions by John M. Herrmann, Paul C. Rosenthal, Brooke M. Ringel, and Joshua R. Morey of the law firm Kelley Drye & Warren LLP. 

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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, providing global standards, business intelligence, sustainability research and industry expertise to 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.