LONDON, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Aluminium industry leaders gathered at the US Department of Commerce on 22 June 2017 to present their testimony. There is great uncertainty surrounding the issue of Section 232, but in light of the testimony CRU believes that, if action is taken, it will be a broad based tariff applied to both primary and semi-finished aluminium products.

In this analysis we present four potential scenarios where tariffs are imposed and we discuss the implications for the aluminium industry value chain.

The investigation
When industry leaders gathered at the US Department of Commerce (DoC) Auditorium on 22 June 2017, they presented testimony to aid the DoC in determining whether imports of aluminium threaten to impair the national security of the US. This hearing followed a memorandum signed by the President on 27 April directing the Secretary of Commerce, Wilber Ross, to proceed expeditiously in conducting his investigation and submit a report on his findings to the President. Per the rules of 232, the DoC has 270 days to submit their report to the President, putting the hard deadline at 22 January 2018. During the hearing, thirty-two industry representatives across the aluminium value chain presented testimony to illustrate their view on the pending investigation. In addition, another 88 companies, associations, and governments filed written testimony for the DoC's consideration.

Read the full story: http://bit.ly/Trump-232-Aluminium

Read more about CRU: http://bit.ly/About_CRU

About CRU
CRU offers unrivalled business intelligence on the global metals, mining and fertilizer industries through market analysis, price assessments, consultancy and events.

Since our foundation in 1969, we have consistently invested in primary research and robust methodologies, and developed expert teams in key locations worldwide, including in hard-to-reach markets such as China. CRU employs over 250 experts and has more than 10 offices around the world, in Europe, the Americas, China, Asia and Australia - our office in Beijing opened in 2004.

When facing critical business decisions, you can rely on this first-hand knowledge to give you a complete view on a commodity market. And you can engage with our experts directly, for the full picture and a personalised response.

CRU - big enough to deliver a high quality service, small enough to care about all of our customers.

SOURCE CRU