A US anti-dumping investigation into imports of aluminium common alloy sheets, which could lead to new tariffs on European products, is shaking EU producers, already weakened by Chinese competition and soon threatened by the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Tuesday 24 March, European Aluminium, which represents the interests of the aluminium industry before the European institutions, issued a press release expressing its concern about the threat of new customs duties that could arise from an investigation launched by Washington on 9 March. The investigation covers products originating, inter alia, in Croatia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Spain.
The association contests the allegations of injurious dumping or other subsidies and is concerned about the possibility of new US trade barriers. It should be recalled that Washington has already been imposing an additional customs duty on all its aluminium imports for the past 2 years.
Instead, EA urges the White House to cooperate with the EU: “We should work together to address the root cause of the challenges faced by the aluminium industries on both sides of the Atlantic, namely the growing subsidised excess capacity of aluminium in China”, said Gerd Götz, Managing Director of the EA.
He believes that additional duties would inflict a further blow on European producers, who, in addition to Chinese pressure, are likely to feel the economic impact of the pandemic soon. (Original version in French by Hermine Donceel)