ZAGREB, October 9, 2020 – The United States is imposing new tariffs on $1.96 billion worth of aluminum sheet products from 18 countries, including Croatia, after determining that the goods were being dumped, according to U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.
The tariffs were being immediately imposed on countries including Germany and Bahrain, even though the department’s determination that there was dumping was preliminary, Ross told Fox Business Network, as carried by Reuters.
Brazil, Croatia, Egypt, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Oman, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan and Turkey were also affected, he said.
Ross said the U.S. International Trade Commission would make the final determination in February 2021.
He said China was not on the list, adding that U.S. tariffs had already been imposed on Beijing’s aluminum products, which led to Chinese excess capacity that displaced production in other countries and resulted in dumping in the United States.
The tariff rates would be largest against Germany, ranging from 51.18% to 352.17%, and lowest for Greece, 2.72%.
The tariff rate on the import of aluminum products from Croatia would be 3.22%.
Ross said a rise in U.S. consumption of certain products amid the pandemic, such as recreational vehicles and boats, increased the importance of aluminum sheet pricing.
