Metal producer Century Aluminum welcomes Trump’s aluminium import incentive

Century Aluminum Company has welcomed President Donald Trump’s latest executive order to incentivize investments that “make American manufacturing great again”.

Signed on July 21, Trump’s executive order allows approved companies investing in new primary aluminium production in the US to import a commensurate amount of primary aluminium at a reduced tariff rate. The new tariff rate for such companies will now be half the otherwise applicable rate for such imports.

Century Aluminum and Emirates Global Aluminum (EGA) announced in February plans to jointly build a new aluminium smelter in Inola, Oklahoma. It will be the largest single investment ever in US primary aluminium production with potential to more than double the nation’s current output.

“President Trump is again prioritising America first by making it easier to make investments like Oklahoma Primary Aluminum,” said CEO Jesse Gary.

“We are grateful for the President’s steadfast support, which strengthens our commitment to supply this critical metal to vital American industries like defence and aerospace. Century is proud to lead the revitalisation of the domestic primary aluminium industry.”

The new Oklahoma Primary Aluminum smelter is expected to have capacity of 750 000 t of primary aluminium production and will support 1 000 direct jobs and 4 000 construction jobs.

In addition to Oklahoma Primary Aluminum, Century Aluminum recently announced expanding capacity at its Mt Holly plant that will increase total US primary aluminium production by almost 10% and add an incremental 150 jobs in South Carolina.