As we work on a new trade case, government affairs issues have taken center stage in recent weeks. AEC members have been working with their local elected officials and their staff over the last few weeks. In this effort we have applied pressure on these lawmakers to help us find resolutions in the Aluminum 232 General Approved Exclusions (GAEs), the surge in imports from Mexico (USMCA and 232), and the overall state of our industry as a result of these failed government policies. Since that time, Bonnell Aluminum hosted a visit to their Utah plant for Senator Mitt Romney. Western Extrusions has leaned on their representative to set up a meeting with key officials this month in Washington, D.C. to discuss our trade concerns with House Ways and Means committee staff. Taber Extrusions has initiated a Senate letter by their Arkansas Senator, Tom Cotton. Working with members, our lobbyists are circulating the letter for bipartisan support to ‘close the deal' on the Commerce Department...
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.