Are aluminum swaps in the auto industry just a shiny distraction?
Behind every aluminum part swap is a deeper question: is it about innovation or just staying one step ahead of trade rules and sourcing roadblocks?
Tag: Demand
The Value Trap: USMCA Compliance Paradoxes
Maybe it’s a thought exercise for a strategic sourcing manager or maybe it could be a very real supply chain hurdle.
New auto tariffs could reshape aluminum demand
This is bigger than just about cars. It’s a signal that trade policy is back on the table in a big way.
Week in Review: Reflect and regroup
Does it feel like we're still in a holding pattern? Or is there finally direction?
February aluminum market: Stability, uncertainty, and the weight of tariffs
The February survey of aluminum market participants points to a market in flux, largely stable but fragile, with looming uncertainties driven by tariffs, shifting demand patterns, and supply constraints. While many respondents see a balanced market in the near term, pockets of undersupply exist, particularly in specific scrap grades and finished products. As we move […]
Week in Review: Tariff whiplash
This week was another rollercoaster in the aluminum and scrap industries, with tariffs once again front and center. The back-and-forth on trade policy has left buyers, producers, and traders scrambling to keep up with shifting enforcement timelines and new restrictions. Tariffs take effect, for now On March 4, the U.S. moved forward with a 25% […]
China's removal of VAT: An admission of defeat?
We have all been obsessed with the tariff tumult since Trump’s election and return to the Presidency. During this pre-occupation with handicapping the possible outcomes of the tariffs, an important event occurred that really did not get the attention it deserves. That event is China’s decision to rescind its export VAT (Value-Added-Tax) rebate program. VAT […]
The possible shift in U.S. aluminum imports
The 25% tariff on aluminum imports, implementing in Q1 2025, has completely shifted global trade flows. With country specific exemptions gone, Canada and Mexico are feeling the hit. With the playing field now level, the assumption was that the UAE and India would fill the gap, but now, Ukraine may be the wild card that […]
New Section 232 tariff: Leverage to pay for power
The newly announced amendments to Section 232 boost the ad valorem duty (a volume-based tariff) from 10 to 25% of the declared customs value for primary aluminum. This boost in the rate gives Alcoa and Century windfall revenue gains as the Midwest physical premium responds to this. If we measure the windfall from Inauguration Day […]
Tariff handicapping: Win, lose or draw?
The latest turn on U.S. tariff policy has seen a universal, 25% tariff applied to all countries effective March 12, 2025. It applies to primary aluminum and its ‘derivatives’. We interpret that to apply to semi-fabricated and finished products under Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) Chapter 76. We also suspect that it will be extended to […]