Aluminum Association welcomes U.S. Court of International Trade’s anti-dumping decision on Chinese aluminium foil

U.S. Court of International Trade has affirmed virtually all of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s final antidumping determination on certain aluminium foil imported from China. The Aluminum Association has welcomed the court’s decision in a statement. Aluminum Association Vice President for Policy and International Trade Lauren Wilk said:

“The Aluminum Association was pleased that the U.S. Court of International Trade affirmed the bulk of the Department of Commerce’s final antidumping determination on certain aluminium foil from China. The court’s decision reinforces the critical role rules play in a functioning global trading system. Targeted trade enforcement – as we’ve seen successfully deployed in the U.S. markets for aluminium foil and common alloy sheet– can have a meaningful and positive impact on U.S. manufacturers.”

He reiterated the association’s commitment towards trade enforcement as a tool to address Chinese overcapacity, which is negatively influencing the total value chain in the aluminium industry.

The Aluminum Association highlighted the progress made towards the implantation of antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) orders on imports of certain aluminium foil from China in a paper released earlier this year. The report shows about two-thirds drop in imports of unfairly subsidized Chinese aluminium foil and US$169 million in U.S. investment in the segment. This supported the strong impact trade enforcement can have on U.S. producers.

However, despite the drop in U.S. import from China, the country’s global semi-finished aluminium exports hit record levels in 2018 – growing by nearly 25 per cent YoY. The association and its member companies continue to monitor global trade flows of aluminium in order to create a level playing field.

The Association calls for a solution of the structural overcapacity in China as shown by the OECD report. This, according to the Association, will ensure continued growth and investment in the U.S. aluminium industry. If not addressed now, Chinese subsidized overcapacity would continue to distort the global aluminium market.