The fair-trade efforts of the United States aluminum extrusion industry have certainly changed in 2023. A year ago today, AEC members were evaluating their best strategy to address illegal and unfairly imported extrusions. Having exhausted every effort through legislation, agency work, defense of our China orders, and so much more, aluminum extruders came together to form the Aluminum Extruders Coalition. This group of heroic extruders took the bold step to form and file a trade case. That case was filed against 15 countries. In all cases an antidumping case was filed, and in four of those cases there was also a countervailing subsidy case filed. That filing has shocked the world.
As the trade case moved from concept and planning to launching and filing, a lot of work was being done to be as inclusive in this process as possible. The more voices the Coalition had the more input available to make our case. Furthermore, these filings are extremely expensive. This is the essence of heroism. Even when others chose not to contribute to the case, the Coalition members still forged ahead. This is reminiscent of the first trade case. At that time, twelve extruders formed a coalition called the Aluminum Extruders Fair Trade Committee. Most members don’t know that the AEC was never the filing group in the first China case. Like in the first case, coalition members guaranteed payment of legal fees and carried the water in pulling data and arguments together, flying to Washington D.C. to lobby the case, and much more. I was a part of that coalition working for an extruder. From my own experience, I imagine these leaders are pouring 20-40 hours a week into this case now. This is an exhausting effort. Everyone that produces extrusions in the U.S. will benefit from this case even though they did nothing to help it. So, I say it again, for those that write the checks when others won’t, for those that find the hours to work the case, for those that have really put their businesses on the line, you are the heroes.
Many AEC members are contributing to the case in several ways. I thank them as well. Many of them have had internal battles with ownership that doesn’t have the same ambitions in our industry that we do.
For those on the outside, I encourage you to get involved. With 14 countries and thousands of extrusion applications, there will be tough decisions the Coalition has to make. Which scope challenge do we fight? It often comes down to money. You can’t fight if you don’t have the resources. What that means to you is that a key product may be excluded and you suddenly find yourself losing your top customers. By then it will be too late. That application will never be covered and you will have to adapt. It happened in the first China case and some extruders paid a heavy price. Please, don’t let that happen to you.
Elsewhere, in our original China case, we continue to find a handful of scope challenges. We have arguments in the KingTom Enforce and Protect Act (EAPA) matter in January. Those matters will be worked as it makes sense for us to do so. In some cases, the new scope will take care of those open matters.
The Aluminum 232 General Approved Exclusions (GAE) evaluation continues. We are still in touch with the Department of Commerce. Sadly, there is NO deadline for a decision and no indication they intend to make any decisions. We will keep updating you on this matter.
And finally, let’s discuss the little tiff we had with the Aluminum Association over the last couple of weeks. First, as far as I am concerned, the tiff is over. I wanted our members to understand my view. Next spring, we will celebrate our 75th year anniversary as a trade association. The charter of the AEC expressly stated that the AEC was formed to create a voice for the independent extruder. The business case to form a common voice has been displayed over the decades. Whether we fought aluminum ingot rationing, competing materials, imports, trade legislation, or even those within our industry that wish to overshadow our need to survive while promoting policies that at a minimum do nothing to help our cause, and at their worst are intended to torpedo our efforts for their own glory. So, when this president sees bullies trying to dictate to us ‘what is going to be’ I am compelled to stand up for my members and say something about it. So, I did.
The AEC has been clear since Day One about the 232. We oppose it. We’ve spent a huge amount of time and money opposing it. We have petitioned the Mexican industry for dumping. How on earth could we ever support a permanent exclusion for Mexico? Seriously? And, to somehow take a shot at the DOMESTIC extrusion industry because the timing of our case makes their fools run a little more complicated…well we just can’t have that. That spectacle was shameful. If Mexico wants to report their import numbers, they can. They chose not to do so. Why? I don’t know. But it’s a violation of the USMCA. I think you get the point.
The AEC has a purpose. It has demonstrated that to the world this year. We all should be proud of these members that have stepped up. Now, let’s rally around them by supporting them while they save our industry.
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