On August 6, President Trump announced that, effective August 16, 2020, a 10% tariff will be reinstated on imports of non-alloyed unwrought aluminum products from Canada.

According to Trump, the decision to reapply Section 232 duties was made in light of recent data indicating the continued growth in imports of these articles from Canada, thereby threatening to harm domestic aluminum production and capacity utilization.

President Trump’s announcement reverses the May 2019 rollback of Section 232 (10%) tariffs on Canadian aluminum that was done in an effort to more strictly coordinate and enforce transshipments between the US and Canada. At the time, both countries agreed to reinstate the 10% aluminum tariffs should any discussions regarding surge increases prove unfruitful for either country.

Although the additional duties will only apply to non-alloyed unwrought aluminum as of now, Trump stated that the US “will continue to monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the measures agreed upon with Canada in addressing our national security needs, including with respect to imports of other aluminum articles.”

Click here to read the official White House Proclamation on Adjusting the Imports of Aluminum into the United States.

Shapiro will continue to monitor the situation and provide status updates as they become available.