ITC swiftly overrules Commerce's aluminum extrusion import duties

By Billy Ludt | October 31, 2024

Recently imposed trade duties on aluminum extrusion imports were reversed by the U.S. International Trade Commission Wednesday afternoon.

Credit: Michael Pointner/Pixabay

Following a yearlong investigation by the Dept. of Commerce in which the department found 14 countries were dumping and/or receiving foreign government aid to produce cheaper aluminum extrusion items, a majority ITC vote determined that the U.S. market was not harmed by the investigated countries.

All 14 countries — China, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates — were found by Commerce to be importing aluminum extrusions in quantities harmful to the U.S. market; and four of those countries were slated to have additional countervailing duties. Dumping margins ranged from 1.44 to 168.8%. The ITC’s negative determination of harm means that Commerce cannot initiate any tariffs.

The investigation was initially petitioned by the U.S. Aluminum Extruders Coalition and the United Steel Workers Union (USW) on October 4, 2023. Commerce announced its findings from the investigation on September 27, 2024.

“The U.S. Aluminum Extruders Coalition and the USW are surprised and disappointed by the split negative vote by the Commission and the surprising recusal of one of the Commissioners. The domestic industry has been and continues to be injured by unfairly traded imports and will evaluate all possible means at its disposal to address this injury,” the group stated in a press release.

Imported solar racking, solar tracker assemblies, electric vehicle battery trays and EV charging station parts or assemblies were among the extruded aluminum products affected by these potential duties from the Dept. of Commerce.

The ITC is generally represented by six members, but only four seats are currently filled. A majority was reached with just two votes from commissioners David Johanson and Jason Kearns, overruling these aluminum extrusion import duties. ITC Chair Amy Karpel voted to maintain them, and Commissioner Rhonda Schmidtlein abstained from the vote.

The ITC is expected to publish a report on its decision by December 10. As it stands, these duties will no longer affect aluminum extrusion imports from those 14 countries, but the petitioners can appeal the ITC’s decision.