U.S. Reverses Course on Tariffs on Aluminum Imports from

Canada

PMPA is a founding member of the CAMMU Coalition. We are pleased to be able to pass along the following breaking news.

The U.S. announced today that it will not impose 10 percent tariffs on aluminum imports from Canada, stating that the U.S. would resume duty-free treatment of aluminum from Canada retroactive to September 1.

As you may recall, the U.S. announced in August that it would re-impose Section 232 tariffs on aluminum from Canada, claiming a surge in imports.  CAMMU opposed the tariffs, signing an industry letter and issues press statements (see here and here).

The announcement by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer was made just before the Canadian Government was expected to announce retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products.

Amb. Lighthizer stated that the U.S. would set monthly quotas for imports of Canadian aluminum of 83,000 tons in September and November, and 70,000 tons in October and December, and stated that if shipments “exceed U.S. expectations, the United States will impose the 10 percent tariff retroactively on all shipments made in that month.”  However, a Canadian Government spokesperson said that it has not “agreed to anything” with respect to quotas and that the U.S. plan was “unilateral.”