The Aluminum Association is urging Canada and Mexico to match U.S. tariffs on aluminum imports from outside North America to create a more unified regional market and strengthen the industry’s competitiveness against China and other nonmarket economies, Bloomberg reports.
CEO Chuck Johnson said the group wants the three countries to align their trade policies regardless of the U.S. tariff rate, declining to take a position on whether President Donald Trump’s current 50% tariff should be reduced. The push comes as the U.S. relies on imports for roughly 60% of its primary aluminum needs, with Canada serving as its largest foreign supplier.
The association also wants stronger rules of origin, stricter “smelt and cast” requirements and better monitoring of aluminum entering and moving throughout North America. Johnson said the existing Section 232 tariff framework has remained durable since its introduction during Trump’s first term, although its rate and other provisions could be adjusted.
The group generally favors a simpler, uniform tariff structure over complicated arrangements such as tariff-rate quotas, arguing that complex rules create opportunities for trade agreements that primarily benefit brokers rather than manufacturers.
