Charles Johnson, president & CEO of the Aluminum Association, released the following statement following the Mexican government’s announcement of increased border tariffs on hundreds of products including many types of aluminium and aluminium products:

“We appreciate this important first step by the government of Mexico to tighten aluminium trade enforcement in North America – consistent with commitments made under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). 

“While we continue to assess how these tariffs might impact regional trade flows, we look forward to further aligning the action with the United States’ Section 232 aluminium tariff regime. A coordinated regional strategy will better insulate North America from heavily state subsidised and illegally traded metal from China, as well as more recently discounted Russian metal. 

“The Aluminum Association also understands and shares the concerns expressed by other industry groups that duty forgiveness programs such as IMMEX may undermine the impact of this action. We also continue to encourage governments across the region to ramp up trade monitoring systems to quickly identify transshipped and otherwise unfairly traded aluminium. 

“The Aluminum Association has long advocated for trade enforcement that targets bad actors in the marketplace while maintaining open trade with partners who play by the rules. 

“Mexico’s action this week was not specifically tailored to address Chinese and Russian imports, as the joint statement from the North American industries recently called for. We will work with the U.S. and Mexican governments to ensure that these new tariffs are constructed and enforced in a smart, targeted and efficient way so that they do not negatively impact valued trading partners.”

In recent months, the Aluminum Association has worked closely with industry and governments in North America to address significant aluminium trade challenges in the region ahead of a mandated review of the USMCA in 2026. 

The association has joined industry partners in Canada and Mexico advocating for stronger trade enforcement including potential tariffs; more transparent monitoring and reporting of aluminium trade flows in the region; and the creation of a North American Aluminum Trade Committee (NAATC) to formalise regional collaboration between government and industry.