Aluminum Production NAICS 3313

Sep 18, 2025 - Trump to Extend Tariffs to Aluminum Products

• To reshore production and strengthen national security, the Trump administration in August expanded its 50% steel and aluminum tariffs to include more than 400 additional product categories, CNBC reports. The tariff list now covers products such as fire extinguishers, machinery, construction materials and specialty chemicals that either contain, or are contained in, aluminum or steel, according to CNBC. As a result, US companies that import finished goods and parts that contain a high percentage of the two metals are subject to stiff tariffs. The Wall Street Journal reports that the administration is considering some tariff relief for US automakers and tech firms. The US aluminum industry has enthusiastically supported tariffs on lower-priced imports of the metal and encouraged President Trump to add duties to imported finished products.
• On March 12, President Trump moved to protect US metals producers by increasing US import tariffs on steel and aluminum. Trump restored effective no-exclusion tariffs of 25% on all imports of the metals and extended the duties to 289 steel and aluminum downstream product groups, from nuts and bolts to soda cans, Reuters reports. Canada and the European Union retaliated with the EU imposing tariffs on up to 26 billion euros of US exports, while Canada – the biggest foreign supplier of steel and aluminum to the US – plans more than $20 billion in retaliatory tariffs, per Reuters. US aluminum and steel producers welcomed the administration’s action, while downstream users of the metals said the tariffs will raise their costs. Aluminum and steel companies have long complained about foreign producers undercutting them on price and say tariffs have been effective at spurring more investment in the US.

• An alumina shortage and shipping disruptions that drove up the global price of aluminum last year, are expected to ease in 2025, according to Metal.com. (Aluminum metal is produced by refining alumina oxide from bauxite into alumina.) Per a Shanghai Metal Market (SMM) report, alumina supply growth is likely to outpace demand this year, creating a surplus that could reduce pressure on operating costs for aluminum producers. Based on SMM’s analysis, the global metallurgical-grade alumina (MGA) surplus is expected to reach approximately 2.6 million tons in 2025, a year-over-year increase of about 2 million tons. Primary aluminum may shift to a narrow surplus amid limited capacity growth and steady demand, per SMM. Regional markets are expected to vary, with the US remaining resilient while Europe faces supply risks.
• Producer prices for alumina and aluminum producers and processors jumped 21.1% in August compared to a year ago after rising a comparatively modest 2.3% in the previous August-versus-August annual comparison, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Rising steeply since June 2025, producer prices are approaching their peak in April 2022. According to the latest US Geological Survey data, domestic primary aluminum production in May was 58,000 metric tons, with average daily production of 1,870 mt, unchanged from April 2025. Employment by alumina, aluminum, and other nonferrous metal producers grew 1.5% year over year in July, while the average industry wage for workers employed by primary metals manufacturers rose 0.6% YoY in August to $28.89 per hour, down more than $1 from its peak in March, BLS data show.