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Production of aluminum sheets: American manufacturers see themselves at a disadvantage
Photo: Patrick Pleul / dpa
The German aluminum manufacturers are in trouble: The USA is preparing special tariffs on aluminum sheets from 18 countries, including Germany, because of supposedly high subsidies and dumping prices.
The country's international trade commission must finally approve this decision by mid-April, the US Department of Commerce announced on Tuesday.
Anti-dumping measures or countervailing tariffs are then conceivable to compensate for the disadvantage for US producers.
The planned taxes are the result of an investigation that was initiated under the former US President Donald Trump.
It was tried by just under a dozen aluminum producers in the USA, including the companies Arconic and Aleris Rolled Products, who see themselves disadvantaged by what they consider to be cheap imports.
Germany in particular is said to have benefited
The new administration under US President Joe Biden has now come to the conclusion that imports from Germany in particular have benefited from dumping measures.
In 2019, aluminum sheets were shipped from Germany to the USA for $ 287 million.
Countries like Bahrain and India have also benefited from sales prices that are well below local production costs because of high subsidies.
In October, the Trump administration had already announced that it had started temporary tariffs in connection with the investigation.
Other countries affected include Brazil, Croatia, Greece, South Africa and Spain.
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mic / AFP