Washington, DC—In response to Magnitude 7 Metals’ announcement that it will restart production at its Marston, Missouri smelter — making it the fifth primary aluminum smelter operating in the United States — Joe Quinn, Executive Director of SAFE’s Center for Strategic Industrial Materials (C-SIM), released the following statement:
“Global supply disruptions and rising prices have made clear that domestic aluminum production is a strategic national priority. We cannot depend on adversaries for a metal used in our fighter jets, ships, weapons, and more.
The restart is expected to add 75,000 tons of domestic primary aluminum production once fully ramped. This is welcome momentum following last month’s fourth-line restart at Century Aluminum’s Mt. Holly, South Carolina smelter.
However, momentum alone will not let America compete globally, strengthen our defense industrial base, or lead an American manufacturing renaissance. We need the new Century-EGA smelter in Inola, Oklahoma to break ground, and we need a serious policy agenda to back it up.”
C-SIM has pressed for the energy and industrial policies needed to reshore primary aluminum production, including in its report Global Policy Insights for Restoring America’s Aluminum Industry.
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SAFE is an action-oriented, nonpartisan organization committed to transportation, energy, and supply chain policies that advance the economic and national security of the United States, its partners, and allies. SAFE has convened business and former military leaders since 2004 to support secure, resilient, and responsible energy solutions. Visit secureenergy.org to learn more.
