Washington, D.C. – The U.S. government recently announced a 200% tariff on Russian aluminum. Joe Quinn, Vice President and Director of the SAFE Center for Strategic Industrial Materials, said:
“The administration’s new tariff on Russian aluminum demonstrates that we are willing to confront supplier nations that do not share America’s interests or values. The tariff complements the Inflation Reduction Act in that it could potentially incentivize more clean production of aluminum and other industrial materials within the U.S. It remains vitally important to sustain, modernize, and expand America’s domestic primary aluminum smelters to compete on a global market.”
Aluminum is critical to US economic and national security through its defense, aerospace, electricity, and transportation uses. Without action to stabilize and decarbonize domestic primary aluminum, the United States is at risk of increasing its reliance on the UAE, Russia and China for critical infrastructures, military needs, and clean technologies. The Center for Strategic Industrial Materials recommends government leaders leverage new and existing policies, like the recent Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, to ensure secure supply chains.
