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2016 ANNUAL REPORT
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Government Puts Aluminum Overcapacity High on Trade Agenda:
The Aluminum Association is advocating for a negotiated agreement
between the U.S. and Chinese governments to address metal
overcapacity. In 2016, the industry made a good deal of progress
raising this issue toward the top of the bilateral trade dialogue between
the two countries. Aluminum was on the agenda for the U.S.-China
Strategic & Economic Dialogue in June, and in September officials
announced a “shared commitment” to address aluminum overcapacity
following the G-20 Summit. Much work remains but progress toward
a negotiated solution is moving forward.
Industry Speaks Up at U.S. ITC Hearing in Washington:
The Aluminum Association and its member companies
joined nearly three-dozen industry stakeholders spanning
the entire aluminum value chain in front of a standing-room
only crowd to testify before USITC Commissioners in late
September. The day-long hearing was part of the investiga-
tion initiated by Congress to assess the factors impacting
the competitiveness of the domestic aluminum industry.
The hearing received extensive media attention including
coverage in
The Wall Street Journal
, Reuters, Bloomberg,
POLITICO
and once again shone a bright light on the global
challenge of Chinese aluminum overcapacity. This followed
Association testimony in the spring before the U.S. Trade
Representative, USITC and other key trade officials.
What we cannot do — and
what we will no longer do —
is compete directly with
a foreign government and
with producers
who don’t play
by the same set of rules.
— GARNEY SCOTT,
KNOXVILLE NEWS-SENTINEL, NOVEMBER 2016
The Aluminum Association testified in front of U.S. trade officials on China overcapacity in April.