For months now I’ve reported that the center of the universe for our Chinese aluminum extrusion tariff orders has moved from being petitioners, to fighting through an unprecedented number of scope issues, to now, defending our orders. To that end we have a number of issues still on the table and still unresolved. We are now well over a year since we petitioned the Department of Commerce (DOC) to do something about the fake pallets and 5000-series alloy issue. During that time we have visited with the DOC, sought and received help and political pressure on the DOC from many of our senators, and even put pressure on them through the media. Finally, late last week we received the preliminary decision from the DOC on the 5050 alloy issue . Now we wait for the pallet decision. For some time now we have been taught by the DOC’s lack of responsiveness that the only way to get some movement is to harass our elected officials into berating the DOC. With the ...
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.