In Warren, Brown Pushes For Crackdown On Unfair Trade Hurting Local Aluminum Extrusions Workers

WARREN, OH - Today,U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) joined local aluminum extrusion manufacturers and workers at the United Steelworkers Local 1375 in Warren to call on the Biden Administration to investigate and take action to counter unfair trade practices that hurt Ohio workers in the aluminum extrusions industry.

Brown is supporting antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) petitions filed by the U.S. Aluminum Extruders Coalition - including Leetonia, Ohio-based Pennex Aluminum - to the Department of Commerce, seeking relief for manufacturers and workers who can't compete with merchandise that's unfairly subsidized or dumped from 14 countries, including China. In just two years, from 2019 to 2020, foreign imports from these countries increased by more than 40 percent.

"Ohio Steelworkers are the best in the world and can compete with anyone - they just need a level playing field. Unfair trade from countries like China threatens Ohio workers and Ohio businesses in the Mahoning Valley," said Brown. "The Biden Administration needs to listen to these workers and take action to stop the illegal dumping that is devastating the aluminum extrusions industry."

"The aluminum extrusion industry is part of the backbone of American manufacturing. The United Steelworkers stand with the US Aluminum Extruders Coalition in calling out bad actors from countries like China, Malaysia, Mexico, and Vietnam. We have to stop foreign companies from dumping products into our market and devastating our manufacturing sector and communities. We are calling for robust enforcement of U.S. trade laws to put an end to the cheating," said Donnie Blatt, USW District 1 Director.

"On behalf of Pennex Aluminum, we are grateful to Senator Brown for his continued support of our trade remedy case involving 14 countries - including Turkey, Malaysia, Mexico, and Vietnam," said Matt Rohm CEO of MX Holdings and Pennex Aluminum. "This case is absolutely vital to the future of aluminum extrusion manufacturing in the United States, and to ensuring a level playing field for companies and workers like ours to continue producing the aluminum components that are essential to our economy and our way of life."

Brown has been a leader in fighting to ensure companies and workers get sufficient relief from unfair trade practices of foreign competitors. Brown and U.S. Senator Mike Braun (R-IN) have repeatedlyraised concerns about the Biden Administration's approach to countering unfair trade in the aluminum extrusions industry, pushing the Department of Commerce to reform its Section 232 exclusion process to strengthen trade enforcement in the industry.

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