Category: Featured

Trump’s tariffs: Strengthening U.S. jobs and national security

On his way to the White House in 2016, President Donald Trump specialized in shattering conventional wisdom and challenging the status quo.

To this day, our president believes Americans are getting ripped off by unfair trade practices where country after country has gotten comfortable taking advantage of the United States because of our unparalleled generosity and wealth. So, he’s focused like a laser beam on fair trade and leveling the playing field so our manufacturing workers can compete with foreign competitors and prosper. President Trump has declared that by implementing targeted tariffs on foreign countries that hurt American workers, “our country will be extremely liquid and rich again.”

Having served as President Trump’s Deputy Campaign Manager in 2016 and as an adviser to his campaigns in 2020 and 2024, I was delighted to see him reelected in 2024 with a huge mandate to fight for our manufacturing sector and usher in a “Golden Age” in America. Make no mistake: Our 45th and 47th presidents are determined to finish the revolution on American trade policy that he began by fixing the mistakes of the Biden-Harris years and strengthening Section 232 tariffs on aluminum and steel.

As part of the shock and awe action of his first one hundred days in office, President Trump signed new proclamations to bolster the fair-trade policy introduced during his historic first term in office. By elevating tariffs to 25% on aluminum and restoring the 25% levy on steel, the Trump administration is making clear that they have the backs of thousands of American aluminum and steel workers and are resolute in their mission to create many new manufacturing jobs.

While the globalists in the economic establishment and mainstream media react to targeted tariffs with their customary Trump-deranged hysteria, American manufacturers reacted with both joy and relief because President Trump is making good on another campaign promise. It must be repeated again and again—because the fake news media refuses to tell the truth—that this president supports robust trade, but it must be fair and reciprocal. This is the linchpin of the policy.

Under the “America Last” mindset of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, foreign countries were free to exploit loopholes in Section 232 to flood the domestic aluminum and steel industry with cheap products.

Canada, Mexico, Australia, and Argentina locked arms with D.C. swamp creatures to secure exclusions and exemptions to the detriment of American workers. Australia’s aluminum exports into the U.S. have increased sharply. At the same time, China and Russia have used loopholes to move aluminum through Mexico and Canada to flood our market. As a result of cheating by foreign countries, Alcoa announced the permanent closing of its smelter in Washington State. Other closures have included a Century Aluminum plant in Kentucky, which idled production in 2022, and Magnitude 7 Metals in Missouri, which was forced to close in 2024.

Many globalists claim that the aluminum tariffs will raise costs for consumers. This is the same stale argument we heard in the first Trump administration; it wasn’t true then and it isn’t true now.

The tariffs didn’t impact the amount of steel or aluminum consumed, didn’t weaken the economy, and didn’t cause massive job losses. Conversely, capacity utilization for aluminum increased during President Trump’s first term, and major investments in the steel industry have been announced.

While some globalist companies attack President Trump’s targeted tariffs, some tell their investors that “if all countries are getting a tariff, the impact for us is zero.” And while some globalist leaders who own aluminum smelters in Canada attack President Trump’s 25% tariff, the reality is that he was elected to bring back good-paying manufacturing jobs to American plants, and this is a commitment he plans to keep. As President Trump has said time and time again, America is done subsidizing Canada and the rest of the world.

Aluminum and steel manufacturing are critical to America’s defense industrial base. Continued dependence on foreign suppliers leaves us vulnerable and jeopardizes our national security interests.

President Trump is putting America first, which means a do-it-all, do-it-now policy supporting domestic manufacturing, no more loopholes, no more exemptions, and no more of the failed Biden agenda. America’s “Golden Age” will only be achieved with a strong and stable industrial base. President Trump’s aluminum and steel tariffs will help save America and make our country great again.

David Bossie is the president of Citizens United and served as a senior adviser to the Trump 2024 and 2020 campaigns. Bossie served as deputy campaign manager for Donald J. Trump for President in 2016 and deputy executive director for the Trump Transition Team.

President Trump’s Tariffs: A New Golden Age for American Aluminum Workers

President Donald Trump specialized in shattering conventional wisdom and challenging the status quo on his road to the White House in 2016. To this day, our president believes Americans are getting ripped off by unfair trade practices where country after country has gotten comfortable taking advantage of the United States due to our unparalleled generosity and wealth. So, he’s focused like a laser beam on fair trade and leveling the playing field so our manufacturing workers can compete with foreign competitors and prosper. President Trump has declared that by implementing targeted tariffs on foreign countries that hurt American workers, “our country will be extremely liquid and rich again.”

Having served as President Trump’s deputy campaign manager in 2016 and as an advisor to his campaigns in 2020 and 2024, I was delighted to see him reelected in 2024 with a huge mandate to fight for our manufacturing sector and usher in a “Golden Age” in America. Make no mistake, our 45th and 47th president is determined to finish the revolution on American trade policy that he began by fixing the mistakes of the Biden-Harris years and strengthening Section 232 tariffs on aluminum and steel.

As part of the shock-and-awe action of his first one hundred days in office, President Trump signed new proclamations to bolster the fair-trade policy introduced during his historic first term in office. By elevating tariffs to 25% on aluminum and restoring the 25% levy on steel, the Trump administration is making clear that they have the backs of thousands of American aluminum and steel workers and are resolute in their mission to create a multitude of new manufacturing jobs.

While the globalists in the economic establishment and mainstream media react to targeted tariffs with their customary Trump-deranged hysteria, American manufacturers reacted with both joy and relief because President Trump is making good on another campaign promise. It must be repeated again and again – because the fake news media refuses to tell the truth – that this president supports robust trade, but it must be trade that is fair and reciprocal. This is the linchpin of the policy.

Under the “America Last” mindset of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, foreign countries were free to exploit loopholes in Section 232 to flood the domestic aluminum and steel industry with cheap products. Canada, Mexico, Australia, and Argentina locked arms with D.C. swamp creatures to secure exclusions and exemptions, to the detriment of American workers. Australia’s aluminum exports into the U.S. have increased sharply and at the same time China and Russia have used loopholes to move aluminum through Mexico and Canada to flood our market. As a result of foreign countries cheating, Alcoa announced the permanent closing of its smelter in Washington State. Other closures have included a Century Aluminum plant in Kentucky, which idled production in 2022, and Magnitude 7 Metals in Missouri, which was forced to close in 2024. 

Many globalists claim that the aluminum tariffs will raise costs for consumers. This is the same stale argument we heard in the first Trump administration; it wasn’t true then and it isn’t true now. The tariffs didn’t impact the amount of steel or aluminum consumed, didn’t weaken the economy, and didn’t cause massive job losses. Conversely, capacity utilization for aluminum increased during President Trump’s first term and now major investments in the steel industry have been announced. While some globalist companies attack President Trump’s targeted tariffs, some are telling their investors that “if all countries are getting a tariff, the impact for us is zero.” And while some globalist leaders who own aluminum smelters in Canada attack President Trump’s 25% tariff, the reality is that he was elected to bring back good-paying manufacturing jobs to American plants, and this is a commitment he plans to keep. As President Trump has said time and time again, America is done subsidizing Canada and the rest of the world.

Aluminum and steel manufacturing are critical to America’s defense industrial base. Continued dependence on foreign suppliers leaves us vulnerable and jeopardizes our national security interests. President Trump is putting America first, which means a do-it-all, do-it-now policy supporting domestic manufacturing, no more loopholes, no more exemptions, and no more of the failed Biden agenda. America’s “Golden Age” will only be achieved if we have a strong and stable industrial base. President Trump’s aluminum and steel tariffs will help save America and make our country great again.

David Bossie is the president of Citizens United and served as a senior adviser to the Trump 2024 and 2020 campaigns. Bossie served as deputy campaign manager for Donald J. Trump for President in 2016 and deputy executive director for the Trump Transition Team.

President Trump’s Aluminum and Steel Tariffs Will Put American Workers First

During his historic first term as President of the United States, Donald Trump put America first with a paradigm shift on trade policy. As President Trump imposed tariffs on Canada and Mexico, our president made clear that “if companies move to the United States, there are no tariffs!!!” In recent days, President Trump declared in his joint address to Congress that “tariffs are about making America rich again.”

Having travelled our nation with President Trump as his chief of staff, let me tell you that he will never stop fighting for American manufacturing workers. As the Trump administration works to stop the flood of fentanyl and illegal immigration from Canada and Mexico, President Trump also recognizes that there is a flood of foreign aluminum and steel surging into our country.

In 2018, President Trump imposed the Section 232 aluminum and steel tariffs under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. In February 2025, President Trump signed into law two new proclamations to strengthen the Section 232 tariffs that were introduced during his historic first term. With a 25 percent elevated tariff on aluminum and a true 25percent tariff on steel, the days of the Biden administration giving country exemptions and exceptions is over.

The fearmongering from the fake news media and globalist zealots who espouse free markets but have seldom experienced one miss the mark on why President Trump is fighting for American manufacturing workers. The claims of massive job loss and economic hardship from the Section 232 aluminum and steel tariffs were proven to be false. We have seen this story before.

The first term tariffs so reviled by globalists sparked a tremendous period of investment and jobs creation by American aluminum manufacturers. All across America’s heartland, U.S. producers such as Magnitude 7 Metals, Century Aluminum, and Alcoa restarted idled capacity. Then Joe Biden got elected and the globalist elites took over.

Rather than enforce the Section 232 program, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris gave exemptions to allies and enemies alike, undoing the progress of the first Trump term and putting Americans out of work. The People’s Republic of China and Russia exploited loopholes by moving aluminum through Mexico and Canada, which killed American aluminum jobs. The damage can be measured in idled smelters and lost aluminum and steel jobs alongside shattered dreams for American workers.

By raising the aluminum tariff to 25 percent and eliminating the Biden exemptions, President Trump is delivering on his pledge to put American workers first and inaugurate a new golden age.

Our adversaries have taken advantage of the weakness of Biden and Harris to not only dump aluminum and steel into our market but also by funneling supplies into border countries such as Canada and Mexico. Just as illegal migrants were flooding across our southern border bringing drugs and crime until President Trump took office, Canada and Mexico are allowing foreign aluminum producers to circumvent trade restrictions and flood the U.S. market. Ultimately American aluminum workers and their families feel the pain when Canada, Mexico, and other countries don’t play by the rules. President Trump is done subsidizing Canada. That is why the president is imposing a 25 percent tariff on all foreign aluminum imports with no exemptions and no exceptions.

President Trump’s visionary leadership has changed the way Washington deals with our allies and adversaries on trade. The beneficiaries of that America First trade policy are the hundreds of thousands of manufacturing workers whose jobs have been saved. As President Trump said in his address before the joint session of Congress “tariffs are not just about protecting American jobs, they’re about protecting the soul of our country.”

America is stronger when its aluminum industry is strong. America is stronger when its steel industry is strong. And thanks to President Trump, 25 percent tariffs on aluminum and steel imports with no exceptions will make America strong again.

AEC Applauds the Trump Administration for Creating a Fair & Level Playing Field for Aluminum Extruders

The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) applauds the Trump Administration’s continued efforts to create a fair and level playing field for American aluminum extrusion manufacturers through the February 10, 2025 Presidential Proclamation, Adjusting Imports of Aluminum into the United States.  The Proclamation set forth crucial changes to the Section 232 program to support U.S. aluminum production throughout the value chain and to strengthen our national and economic security.

The Proclamation recognizes that there continues to be a global excess capacity crisis throughout the aluminum value chain.  Seventeen years ago, the U.S. aluminum extrusion industry pursued trade relief against aluminum extrusions from China.  Shortly after those orders went into effect, Chinese companies almost immediately began evading the duties.  After years of fighting various forms of Chinese evasion, the industry again began experiencing a massive surge of unfairly priced aluminum extrusions from third countries into the U.S. market.  This is now a global problem.  These imports once again led to a cycle of deteriorating capacity utilization, closures, and layoffs, devastating the industry.

By closing the loopholes in the Section 232 measures and increasing the tariff rates, the Trump Administration’s latest action will help significantly to clamp down on the surge of unfair imports. We believe that removing the exclusions and loopholes, strengthening overall enforcement, and including downstream aluminum-containing derivative products will significantly benefit the American aluminum extrusions industry. This will allow it to restart its unused capacity, rehire furloughed employees, and create thousands of well-paying American jobs. The AEC looks forward to continuing to partner with the Administration in enforcing any new regulations, laws, or policies affecting aluminum extruders.

AEC members support well over 30,000 American workers across the United States, with more than 90 extrusion operations across 35 states.

American Primary Aluminum Association Strongly Supports President Trump’s 25% Tariff on All Foreign Aluminum Imports


Washington, DC; February 10, 2025 – The American Primary Aluminum Association (APAA), today praised President Trump for signing an Executive Order (EO) to strengthen the Section 232 program by imposing a 25% tariff on all aluminum imports. The tariff will apply to all foreign countries.

“Today is a great day for the U.S. aluminum industry. President Trump has shown tremendous leadership by taking action on the Section 232 program to put American aluminum workers first,” remarked Mark Duffy, President of the APAA. “Unfair trade practices have devastated the domestic aluminum industry and President Trump’s actions today will protect thousands of American workers and their families.”

About the American Primary Aluminum Association:

The American Primary Aluminum Association advances the interests of America’s primary aluminum industry and its workers through the Aluminum Now campaign. APAA is registered and incorporated in Washington, DC and operates as a non-profit trade association. For more, please visit: www.aluminumnow.org.

The American Primary Aluminum Association Applauds Congressional Revocation of Russia’s PNTR Status

 

WASHINGTON D.C., April 7, 2022 – Following the passage of the Suspending Normal Trade Relations with Russia and Belarus Act, the American Primary Aluminum Association (APAA) released the following statement:

“The American Primary Aluminum Association applauds Congress and the efforts by the Biden Administration to revoke the United States’ Permanent Normal Trade Relationship with Russia. By stripping Russia of its Permanent Normal Trade Relationship status, the United States deprives Russia of significant revenue for its steel and aluminum exports used to fund its war against the peoples of Ukraine.

“Revoking PNTR status further prevents Russian industries from benefiting from the very economic turmoil that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has caused and is a necessary step in deterring further aggression.

About the American Primary Aluminum Association:

The American Primary Aluminum Association advances the interests of America’s primary aluminum industry and its workers through the Aluminum Now campaign. APAA is registered and incorporated in Washington, DC and operates as a non-profit trade association. For more, please visit: www.aluminumnow.org

APAA Supports the Biden Administration’s Tariff-Rate Quota Deal with the European Union

 

Washington, DC; October 30, 2021 – The American Primary Aluminum Association, which represents the majority of U.S. primary aluminum  producers and thousands of aluminum workers across the country, expressed its support for the tariff-rate quota (TRQ) deal reached between the Biden Administration and the European Union.

Mark Duffy, CEO of the APAA, noted that “The just announced TRQ deal will maintain the effectiveness of the Section 232 aluminum program, while allowing us to support continued investment in the U.S. primary aluminum industry and create more American aluminum jobs. Of critical importance, the arrangement supports America’s primary aluminum industry by setting the quota portion of the TRQ at very low levels that are well below pre-232 volumes.”

Prior to the Section 232 program, all of America’s primary aluminum smelters were slated for closure because of the collapse in prices due to excess global capacity. Since its implementation, the Section 232 program has helped America maintain its ability to produce primary aluminum, protecting and creating thousands of American aluminum jobs and leading to over $6 billion in new domestic capital investments (upstream and downstream).

As part of President Biden’s commitment to rebuild domestic manufacturing, the TRQ deal will allow U.S. primary aluminum producers to keep reinvesting and creating more good-paying American jobs as we work together to Build Back Better.

About the American Primary Aluminum Association:

The American Primary Aluminum Association advances the interests of America’s primary aluminum industry and its workers through the Aluminum Now campaign. APAA is registered and incorporated in Washington, DC and operates as a non-profit trade association. For more, please visit: www.aluminumnow.org

American Primary Aluminum Association Strongly Supports the Continuation of the Section 232 Aluminum Program

Washington, D.C., Oct. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The American Primary Aluminum Association (APAA), whose members represent the vast majority of U.S. primary aluminum production and employ thousands of American aluminum workers, strongly favor the continuation of the Section 232 aluminum program. Contrary to claims made by associations representing foreign producers, the domestic primary aluminum industry supports a well-crafted tariff-rate quota (TRQ) for the European Union to preserve the effectiveness of the Section 232 program. These common-sense tariffs saved the American primary aluminum industry and are allowing the domestic industry to rebuild, which is critical to U.S. national and economic security.

Prior to the institution of the Section 232 program, all of America’s primary aluminum smelters were slated for closure as a result of the collapse in prices due to the global excess capacity crisis. As a result of the Section 232 program, the U.S. primary aluminum has stabilized and has begun the long process of rebuilding what was lost to decades of the devastating effects of global excess capacity.

Now, U.S. producers have the confidence that their investments are viable. Our members continue to increase domestic aluminum production, with active expansion and hiring programs across the U.S., including in places like Goose Creek, South Carolina, Hawesville, Kentucky and New Madrid, Missouri. The reinvestment in the U.S. primary aluminum industry has only just begun.

Calls from foreign trade groups seeking to phase down the tariff seek only to benefit their affiliated semi-finished European production rather than Building Back Better by investing in American manufacturing and American jobs throughout the entire value chain.

The domestic primary aluminum industry supports a well-crafted tariff-rate quota (TRQ) for the European Union to preserve the effectiveness of the Section 232 program and does not support a phase down of the tariff. The Section 232 program continues to drive investment, expansion and the creation of new jobs in the American aluminum industry, both upstream and downstream. The program should remain in place to allow this critical U.S. industry to continue to recover as we Build Back Better.

About the American Primary Aluminum Association:

The American Primary Aluminum Association advances the interests of America’s primary aluminum industry and its workers through the Aluminum Now campaign. APAA is registered and incorporated in Washington, DC and operates as a non-profit trade association. For more, please visit: www.aluminumnow.org

Intended suspension of anti-dumping duties keeps floodgates for unfair and high-carbon Chinese imports open

This press release was first issued by European Aluminium on Sept. 10, 2021

Brussels, 10 September 2021 – European Aluminium, the voice of the European aluminium value chain, warns against the Commission’s proposed 9-month suspension of the definitive anti-dumping duties on Chinese aluminium flat-rolled products. A key contributor to the European Green Deal, the sector is worried about the block’s contradictory trade enforcement actions and sounds the alarm about the suspension’s devastating impact on EU industries beyond aluminium.

“On 30 August, the European Commission released its annual report on EU trade defence activity, in which it writes European companies and their workers can continue to rely on robust trade defence instruments that protect them against unfair trade practices. Only two days later, the Commission announced its intention to suspend the definitive anti-dumping duties on aluminium flat-rolled products from China. This news has sent shock waves through the aluminium industry and other industrial sectors. How can European industries trust in the urgently needed trade enforcement measures when the flood gates for high-carbon, dumped Chinese products stay so willingly open?” says Gerd Götz, Director General of European Aluminium.

European Aluminium warns that the impact of a suspension on the European aluminium value chain would be devastating and long-lasting. Tens of thousands of EU jobs and hundreds of millions of euros in decarbonisation and recycling investments are on the line. The EU risks further losing production capacity for a material that is critical to the EU’s green transition, compromising Europe’s strategic autonomy.  Furthermore, a suspension will boost Chinese imports with a high carbon footprint, endangering the EU’s climate ambitions. The carbon footprint of European primary aluminium production is one of the lowest globally: approximately 7kg of CO2 per kg of aluminium compared to the Chinese average of 20kg of CO2 per kg of aluminium.

European Aluminium also points out a suspension signals China’s unfair trade practices are tolerated and might set a dangerous precedent for anti-dumping cases in other sectors. A suspension could jeopardise transatlantic relations in the joint fight for free and fair trade on a global scale. Since the U.S. blocked all dumped imports of Chinese aluminium, a suspension of long-overdue anti-dumping duties in the EU could dissuade the U.S. from lifting its Section 232 measures on aluminium and steel. Europe needs the support of its allies to take joint actions against the root cause of the distorted aluminium market: subsidised Chinese excess capacity.

“The European aluminium industry is determined to pursue all avenues to challenge the proposed suspension because it’s fundamentally unwarranted and contradictory to the Commission’s trade and climate ambitions. We request the Commission not to suspend the definitive measures due for October 2021 and offer our support for an urgently needed in-depth and balanced investigation,” concludes Götz.

Century Aluminum CEO Jesse Gary: Section 232 program is vital for high-paying jobs

This article by Century Aluminum CEO Jesse Gary originally appeared in the South Carolina Post and Courier on June 4, 2021.

 

[This week], we were honored to welcome Gov. Henry McMaster and U.S. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn to usher in a new era of growth for the Mount Holly aluminum smelter. Century Aluminum, America’s largest primary aluminum producer, is increasing production at the Goose Creek smelter by 50%, including investing more than $60 million and creating about 100 good-paying jobs.

 

This was only possible thanks to the leadership of Gov. McMaster, Rep. Clyburn and our Century team members in South Carolina as we work together to support Palmetto State families. We are proud that the Mount Holly aluminum smelter will now provide more than 400 direct aluminum jobs and create more than $500 million of overall economic activity in the Lowcountry.

 

Our smelter is the newest and most efficient smelter in the United States and produces products that are a vital part of our country’s national defense infrastructure. The aluminum produced in South Carolina is a key input for modern building materials, medical equipment, electrical vehicles and the renewable energy components that are essential to a low-carbon future in the United States. U.S. aluminum products also are used to create fighter jet skins and structures, armor plating for troop carriers and naval vessels, and propellants for missiles and other aerospace applications.

 

According to a recent report by the Economic Policy Institute, in order for the U.S. primary aluminum industry to keep producing the quantities of aluminum we need, the Section 232 program must remain in place. The EPI report highlights how the Section 232 program has led to more than $6 billion in investments in 55 aluminum manufacturing projects since the initiation of the program in March 2018, creating nearly 4,500 additional jobs.

 

Despite the success of the program, global overcapacity in aluminum is still a major problem. A recent study from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that nations around the world, from China to India to the Middle East, have poured billions of dollars into subsidizing and creating aluminum industries in their own countries given the critical role that aluminum plays in national security.

 

These subsidies have created significant overcapacity that has had a devastating effect on the U.S. industry. Since 2001, 17 smelters have closed their doors in the United States, leaving only six operating today. If the U.S. primary aluminum industry were to completely shut down, we would be forced to obtain aluminum critical for our national defense from our geopolitical rivals like Russia and China, and Middle Eastern nations.

 

The good news is that since the Section 232 program went into effect, the program has led to investments that have increased America’s domestic aluminum production by more than 60% and allowed plants like Mount Holly to create thousands of new American aluminum jobs. As the U.S. primary aluminum industry continues to rebuild, families in South Carolina and across our great nation benefit.

 

Just a few years ago, the forecast was cloudy for Mount Holly and the rest of the U.S. aluminum industry. Today, thanks to the 232 program, Century Aluminum is proud to be celebrating this new $60 million investment and 100 new jobs here in the Palmetto state.
 
Jesse Gary is the incoming president and chief executive officer of Century Aluminum.