The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) has launched a new campaign to raise awareness and understanding of the AEC Aluminum Extrusion Fair Trade Initiative. The campaign centers on the theme, “Fair Trade – It Matters!” A new website page has been developed to communicate information on issues related to the Aluminum Extrusion Fair Trade effort and can be accessed directly at www.AECfairtrade.org.
According to the announcement, the Aluminum Extruders Council has led the U.S. aluminum extrusion industry in achieving level competition by winning tariff protection that offsets unfair trade practices of extruders and/or importers of aluminum profiles produced in China. Conservatively, AEC estimates 600 million pounds per year of extrusions are being produced in the U.S. that would have otherwise been lost to China.
“This is about Fair Trade. Open markets. Competition,” says AEC president Rand Baldwin. “The government of China, in hoping to rapidly build industry and jobs in China, targeted certain industries for worldwide domination. Their method, however, is to import to the United States and other countries using trade practices that the U.S. International Trade Commission considers improper.”
In June 2011, shortly after the aluminum extrusion import tariffs were imposed, the Aluminum Extruders Council assumed financial responsibility for maintaining and defending the tariffs from challenges—legal and illicit, according to the announcement.
In order to provide the aluminum extrusion industry with the most current facts and information, AEC is hosting a special “Fair Trade – It Matters!” event during the AEC Management Conference on Wednesday, September 18 in Chicago. The event will feature programming devoted to imparting essential information about the Aluminum Extrusion Fair Trade Initiative throughout the day, culminating in a special networking event in the evening. The Management Conference is scheduled for Tuesday, September 17 through Thursday, September 19 at the Hilton O’Hare Airport Hotel in Chicago. Although the Management Conference is typically only open to AEC members, aluminum extrusion industry companies interested in attending may contact AEC at mail@aec.org. For more information about the AEC Management Conference, visit www.AECmeets.org and follow the link to the Management Conference.
