Nick Collins: Aluminium Extruders Association CEO on the trade investigation into whether an uptick in imports could be harming local manufacturers
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What investigation is the government launching regarding aluminium imports?
The government has launched an investigation into claims of aluminium dumping. It's being alleged the aluminium products are being dumped here at below the cost of the raw product. Now we're talking about aluminium bars, rods and profiles which are used across construction, infrastructure and transport. Nick Collins is the independent chair of the Aluminium Extruders Association and is with us. Morning Nick. Good morning Heather. Where's the stuff coming from?
The stuff's coming from all over but principally Asia.
Why is it being dumped here?
Well, other major manufacturing countries have created either tariffs or safeguard measures to protect manufacturing. So if you look at the US, depending upon which month we're talking about, the tariffs can be anywhere between 25 and 50 percent. Last year, year before last, the EU realised that the world market was being constrained. The geopolitical situation was changing. They introduced safeguard measures to protect both aluminium and steel.
And we didn't, obviously. Should we do that too?
that's exactly what we're asking for, yes. Because if you close down those two big markets, the product, they will find places, whatever places to sell the product and where it's easier.
What would you like us to set our tariffs at?
I think work needs to be done on that, Heather.
Where are the aluminium products being imported from and why?
It's not just a simple blanket. And I think what the EU did initially, they put the tariff, the safeguard measure at 25 percent. They investigated it and then they doubled it to 50 percent. Now, I'm not sure that that is quite the extent we need, but we certainly need something in the range of 15% to 25% to ensure that local manufacturers have the same, so that they're on a level playing field. I mean, that's really all they're asking for.
Yeah. It's a hard argument for this government to make, I'd imagine, Nick, but thank you for your time. Nick Collins, Independent Chair of Aluminium Extruders Association of New Zealand.
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