Exclusion requests granted so far this week amount to about 632 kmton of aluminum products, nearly five times the exempted amount in February (which was around 130 kmton), according to documents posted by the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).
Novelis was the company granted the largest exempted volume this week, for nearly 500 kmton in total of cold-rolled aluminum sheet (mostly 5xxx series) suitable for use in industrial products markets. Specifically, granted exemptions were for about 459 kmton of 5xxx series, about 33 kmton for 6xxx series, and the remainder were for 3xxx series; to be sourced from Novelis’ own rolling operations in Canada.
Another four companies were granted significant volumes. Specifically, Sigma Electric Manufacturing was granted exemptions for about 34 kmton of aluminum casting products;Bemis Company for about 34 kmton of foil; MT Metal for about 27 kmton of sheet; andKataman Metals for about 19 kmton of foil. Twenty other firms were granted exemptions for another 20 kmton of aluminum products combined.
Overall, granted exemptions amount to over 3.2 million mton of aluminum, of which more than 80% have been for aluminum sheet. So far in 2019, requests for over 1.1 million mton of aluminum products have been granted exemptions from Section 232 tariffs.