US urged to investigate sharp increase in Chinese aluminum imports

Aluminum companies in the US have demanded an investigation into the Chinese government's subsidies to aluminum producers. This is taking place against the backdrop of a sharp increase in imports of finished and semi-finished aluminum products from China to the United States.

A team of researchers who visited China last year said they received clear evidence of Chinese government subsidies to some local aluminum companies. Chinese companies also received loans at low interest rates. The slowdown in the Chinese economy will lead to a decrease in demand for aluminum produced in this country. The sharp drop in demand has led to a surplus of metals, including aluminum. Consequently, there is a surge in supplies outside the country. Cheaper Chinese aluminum products continue to flood the US market.

According to official figures, the total value of China's aluminum exports almost quadrupled from $ 6.2 billion in 2006 to $ 23.8 billion in 2015. In addition, China's aluminum production rose more than 30 percent in 2015 to nearly 32 million tonnes. Meanwhile, in the United States, imports of semi-finished aluminum products from China rose sharply by more than 180 percent during this period. On the other hand, US primary aluminum production fell sharply by 7.2 percent from 1.71 million tonnes in 2014 to 1.59 million tonnes in 2015. Secondary production of alloys in the country also decreased by almost 2.5 percent in 2015 compared to the previous year.

According to Century Aluminum and the USW, the dumping of cheap aluminum products from China is seriously hurting US aluminum producers. They called on the federal government to launch a new investigation into alleged Chinese subsidies for aluminum production.