The Aluminum Association Applauds Affirmative Preliminary Determination in Investigation of Aluminum Sheet From China

ARLINGTON, VA -- Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced its preliminary determination that imports of common alloy aluminum sheet for aluminum tube manufacturers from China are benefiting from unfair government subsidies in connection with the agency’s on-going countervailing duty investigation.As a result, the agency will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) to require U.S. importers of common alloy aluminum sheet from China to deposit estimated countervailing duties at the time of importation.

Based on information gathered to date, the Commerce Department calculated preliminary subsidy margins ranging from 31.20 to 113.30 percent of the value of the imported common alloy aluminum sheet.Finally, the Department calculated a subsidy margin of 33.10 percent for all other Chinese producers and exporters that cooperated in the Department’s investigation, but were not selected for individual investigation.

The next step in this trade action will be the Commerce Department’s issuance of its preliminary antidumping duty determination, which is scheduled to be announced in June.If an affirmative preliminary antidumping determination is issued by the Commerce Department, U.S. importers will be required to post cash deposits or bonds on all entries of common alloy aluminum sheet from China in the amount of the subsidy and dumping margin calculated by the agency.