The Aluminum Association has not given up on the U.S. reaching a binding bilateral deal with China to reduce aluminum overcapacity, but the group is also holding out the option of pursuing anti-dumping or countervailing duty cases if market conditions fail to improve.
The aluminum industry is gearing up for a Sept. 29 International Trade Commission hearing, which would serve as the first step in any future trade defense cases on aluminum.
The industry has taken a less aggressive approach than steel in not more pursuing anti-dumping, countervailing duties or World Trade Organization action against China on aluminum, opting instead to try to reach a bilateral or multilateral deal, Aluminum Association Vice President of Policy Chuck Johnson told World Trade Online.
“The issues of overcapacity really came to a head in the middle of last year,” Johnson said. “Prior to that, we had not been active on this issue. We have not, as an association, pursued antidumping and other trade enforcement remedies for our industry as have steel and other industries that have been facing a more endemic and long-term conditions. … But we are not taking anything off the table.”
This is a shift for the association, which represents original aluminum manufacturers throughout North America.
The ITC hearing will look at Chinese trade practices including trade policies, export duties and industry subsidization. The goal, Johnson said, is to get better documentation on China’s industry than has previously been gathered.
The ITC is currently collecting information and gathering public comments in preparation for the hearing. The commission is also circulating a questionnaire looking at the competitive conditions affecting the U.S. aluminum industry as a whole.