WASHINGTON, Aug. 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Today the American Primary Aluminum Association urged President Trump and his team to maintain strong 50% Section 232 tariffs on aluminum without any exemptions or exclusions for Mexico or Canada. We must not allow America Last – Canada First policy solutions created by the Government of Ontario to destroy American aluminum jobs.

“Since President Trump implemented the 50% Section 232 aluminum tariff, we have seen historic smelter restarts in South Carolina and Missouri and new and expanded rolling mills built in Alabama and Mississippi,” said APAA President Mark Duffy. “In Oklahoma, the first new U.S. aluminum smelter in 50 years is being built which will double the size of domestic aluminum production and create 5,000 new American jobs. Any changes to the Section 232 program will put all these new investments in American aluminum manufacturing at risk.

“Fortress North America’ is Canadian propaganda; in reality they seek privileged access to U.S. markets as if they were an American state and refuse to take actions to keep unfairly traded Chinese and other foreign aluminum from flooding our country,” said Duffy. “Domestic producers and thousands of American aluminum workers strongly support the 50% Section 232 aluminum tariff with no exceptions or exemptions.”

The APAA also released a video highlighting the rebound of U.S. primary aluminum production. The video highlights the historic investment in domestic aluminum due to President Trump’s 50% Section 232 tariff program. The video focuses on the Century Aluminum Mt. Holly smelter in South Carolina that is returning to 100% production capacity as a direct result of the President’s trade policies (available here). 

“Fortress North America” is a term used to describe America Last – Canada First policies created by the Government of Ontario. The plan, “Building Fortress North America: Ontario’s North American Growth Plan,” is available on the Government of Ontario’s website.

Background
In 2000, there were 23 primary aluminum smelters operating in the United States and 10 in Canada. Today, Canada still has 10 primary aluminum smelters, while only four remain in the United States. After the 2020 election, and Canada’s aluminum tariff exemption, Canadian aluminum imports soared by 30%, while U.S. primary aluminum production experienced an alarming 30% decline. This resulted in the U.S. aluminum industry losing thousands of American aluminum jobs as Canadian primary aluminum imports surged.

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. 

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SOURCE American Primary Aluminum Association