US President Joe Biden has decided to retain the 10pc tariff on aluminum imports from the UAE, which the outgoing administration was going to exempt.
On Jan 20, the UAE was exempted from the tariff by President Donald Trump, citing that the former had agreed to a quota that restricted its exports to the US. This decision was made after an agreement to sell 50 Lockheed Martin jets to the UAE.
However, Biden told the media on Tuesday that available evidence indicates aluminum imports from the UAE may cause material injury to the domestic industry. He added that it was necessary to reimpose the tariffs at the moment.
Michael Bless, chief executive officer at Century Aluminum, commended the decision made by Biden and said that the Section 232 tariffs continue to strengthen the domestic aluminum industry and its supply chain capabilities while also safeguarding the employees who work in the industry.