The EU introduces surveillance of aluminum imports

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The EU will begin to monitor the imports of aluminum in order to check whether the US’s new customs rules will lead manufacturers to dump goods on the European market.

 

US President, Donald Trump, introduced a 25% surcharge for steel and 10% for aluminum in March.

The EU has so far been granted exceptions, but feared that non-exempt producers will begin to ship their goods to Europe instead of the United States as a result of the new customs wall.

Therefore, an aluminum monitoring system is being introduced, the European Commission announced on Thursday. A similar steel imports system is already in place.

One consequence of the decision is that aluminum manufacturers now have to apply for a license to continue selling goods to the EU.

Initially, the purpose is only monitoring. However, the EU may introduce safeguards to slow imports if it turns out that more aluminum suddenly begins to flow onto the market.

In the worst case, such safeguards could also affect Norwegian producers,which have the EU as their main market.

Norway is so far not excluded from the extra surcharge in the United States,but is in dialogue with the US authorities on the matter. A new assessment of the exceptions is expected by May the 1st.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today