In case you missed it, the Wall Street Journal wrote back-to-back articles about Zhongwang and Aluminum Shapes. In a scathing indictments the Journal linked Zhongwang to the massive inventory of aluminum extrusions in Mexico and connected Aluminum Shapes to Zhongwang about the so-called aluminum pallets. Consequently, both Zhongwang and Aluminum Shapes came out with their denials. Regardless, the issue certainly has grabbed the attention of the Department of Commerce (DOC) and Customs. For the AEC the timing was perfect. With our fall conference located in Washington DC, we were able to take our case to Capitol Hill asking for support in pressing Commerce on a decision about the pallets. We expect the DOC to rule in our favor on the pallet issue by declaring them within the scope of our orders and therefore subject to tariffs and fines. If the DOC should decide not to call the pallets in scope, then our petition calls on them to immediately launc...
The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) has led the U.S. aluminum extrusion industry in achieving level competition by winning tariff protection that offsets unfair trade practices of extruders/importers of aluminum profiles produced in China. Our efforts have been of enormous value to domestic extruders and suppliers. Conservatively, an estimated 800 million pounds per year of extrusions are being produced in the U. S. that would have otherwise been lost to China.