US tightens aluminium, steel import rules

The United States unveiled stri­cter rules Wednesday on steel and aluminium imp­orts from Mexico, moving to prevent China-origin goods from avoiding tariffs. The election-season actions by President Joe Biden’s administration mark the latest in a series of efforts to guard against excess industrial capacity in China, which Wash­ington has warned could bring a flood of unfairly priced goods to other markets. Steel arriving via Mexico will qualify for duty-free benefits only if melted and poured in that country, or in the United States or Canada, White House National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard told reporters. Otherwise, they will face tariffs of 25 per cent. Under Biden’s latest proclamation, aluminium imports from Mexico that contain primary aluminium smelt or cast in China, Belarus, Iran or Russia will also face a 10 per cent tariff.