On September 15, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) announced it will revoke the 10% tariff on imports of non-alloyed, unwrought aluminum products from Canada that originally went into effect on August 16.

The decision to rescind Section 232 duties was made in light of an expected 50% decline in average monthly US imports of Canadian aluminum from January to July 2020, which indicates the normalization in imports of these articles from Canada.

Additional 10% duties will be removed retroactively as of September 1, 2020. However, officials cautioned that in the event actual shipments exceed 105% of the expected volume in any month, the USTR will:

  • Impose the 10% tariff retroactively on all shipments made in that month;
  • Expect that shipments made in the next month will decline by a corresponding amount; and
  • Consider reinstating the 10% tariff going forward.

At the end of the year, US and Canadian officials will review the state of the aluminum trade and expected market conditions in 2021 to determine if additional duties are necessary.

Click here to read the official USTR Statement on Canadian Aluminum.

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