La Crosse, WI – This week, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation removing tariffs on imports of Canadian aluminum. The proclamation followed an agreement with Canada announced last month by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to reinstate an exclusion for these imports from Section 232 tariffs retroactive to September 1, 2020.
Previous Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum from Canada were dropped in 2019 as part of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) which entered into force on July 1, 2020. However, President Trump announced in August that he would be renewing tariffs on imports of Canadian aluminum, a decision that Rep. Kind swiftly condemned.
Over 50% of United States aluminum is imported from Canada, while over half of the beer produced in America annually is packaged in aluminum cans or bottles.
“These tariffs on Canadian aluminum imports were misguided and harmful to Wisconsin’s storied beer industry, which is already facing significant challenges as the COVID-19 crisis continues,” said Rep. Ron Kind. “I’m glad the Administration heard our concerns and removed tariffs on imports of Canadian aluminum. It’s critical that we work to protect access to open markets for Wisconsin businesses and manufacturers and keep supply chains unburdened to ensure our world-renowned beer industry can continue to succeed.”
According to a 2019 study by the Beer Institute, 62,856 jobs in Wisconsin are impacted by the beer industry and the industry contributes $9 billion annually to the state.
Rep. Kind is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee’s Subcommittee on Trade and the co-chair of the New Democrat Coalitions’ Trade Task Force. The Ways and Means Committee is the most powerful – and the oldest – committee in the House of Representatives.
