Commerce Department issues determinations on common alloy aluminum sheet dumping allegations

The U.S. Department of Commerce has announced affirmative preliminary determinations in the anti-dumping duty investigations of imports of common alloy aluminum sheet (CAAS) from 18 countries: Bahrain, Brazil, Croatia, Egypt, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Oman, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan and Turkey. Additionally, the DOC recently announced preliminary affirmative countervailing duty determinations for imports of CAAS from Bahrain, Brazil, India and Turkey.

“The department’s aluminum sheet investigations constitute the broadest U.S. trade enforcement action in two decades,” Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross says. “We look forward to receiving parties’ comments on the preliminary determinations that aluminum sheet imports from 18 countries have been dumped, and in some cases unfairly subsidized, into the U.S. market.”

Commerce preliminarily determined that exporters have dumped common alloy aluminum sheet in the United States at the following rates:

• 4.21 percent for Bahrain;
• 49.48 percent to 136.78 percent for Brazil;
• 3.22 percent for Croatia;
• 10.42 percent for Egypt;
• 51.18 percent to 352.71 percent for Germany;
• 2.72 percent for Greece;
• zero percent to 47.92 percent for India;
• 32.12 percent for Indonesia;
• zero percent to 29.13 percent for Italy;
• 3.53 percent for Oman;
• 12.51 percent to 83.94 percent for Romania;
• 11.24 percent to 25.84 percent for Serbia;
• 4.8 percent for Slovenia;
• 8.98 percent for South Africa;
• 5.04 percent for South Korea;
• 3.75 percent to 23.32 percent for Spain;
• 18.02 percent for Taiwan; and
• 12.71 percent to 12.90 percent for Turkey.

As a result of these decisions, the department says it will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to collect cash deposits from importers of common alloy aluminum sheet from the above-named countries based on the preliminary rates noted above. 

The petitioners are the Aluminum Association Common Alloy Aluminum Sheet Trade Enforcement Working Group and its individual members, Aleris Rolled Products Inc., Arconic Inc., Constellium Rolled Products Ravenswood LLC, JW Aluminum Co., Novelis Corp. and Texarkana Aluminum Inc. Commerce says it is scheduled to announce its final determinations in these cases on or about Feb. 22, 2021.

If the department’s final determinations are affirmative, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) will be scheduled to make its final injury determination on or about April 5, 2021. If Commerce makes affirmative final determinations of dumping and the ITC makes an affirmative final injury determination, Commerce will issue AD orders. If the department makes a negative final determination or the ITC makes a negative final determination of injury in an investigation, the investigation will be terminated and no order will be issued.

A fact sheet on the determination is available here.

In response to the announcement, Tom Dobbins, president and CEO of the Aluminum Association, Arlington, Virginia, says, “Today’s decisions underscore the Commerce Department’s commitment to combatting unfair trade. The Commerce Department’s findings confirm that foreign producers relied on artificially low prices to rapidly increase their aluminum sheet exports to the United States, just as unfairly traded imports from China were beginning to withdraw from the market.”

The Aluminum Association adds that parties can submit case and rebuttal briefs to the Commerce Department and can participate in a hearing addressing the preliminary determinations.

Common alloy aluminum sheet is a flat-rolled aluminum product that is used in transportation, building and construction, infrastructure, electrical and marine applications. The Aluminum Association says common uses for the product under investigation include gutters and downspouts, building facades, street signs and license plates, electrical boxes, pontoon boats and tractor trailers for trucks.