Aluminum France participates in the Montreal Aluminum Summit

The leaders of the national aluminum associations of Canada, the United States, Europe, France and Japan held an exceptional meeting of the aluminum industry of the G7 member countries on June 3-4 in Montreal, and call for the establishment of a global governmental and multilateral forum on overcapacity in the aluminum industry. The event took place with the active participation of the governments of Canada and Quebec, representatives of the G7 governments and leading companies in the sector in Canada, the United States, Europe, France and Japan.

Global demand for aluminum is increasing and will require market-compliant growth in primary aluminum production, recycling and the production of semi-finished aluminum products. However, subsidized overcapacity and other market distorting behaviors undermine the sustainable growth of the global aluminum industry for primary and process aluminum producers. It is time for G20 leaders to provide a collective and multilateral response. To initiate this process, the participants in the Montreal Aluminum Summit defined an action plan for a sustainable global market that will be shared with the G7 and, ultimately, the G20.

The action plan identifies China as a dominant player in aluminum production. As China increases its overwhelming share of the market by adding new upstream and downstream capacity, thanks to government subsidies, discriminatory tariffs on primary aluminum and support programs of all kinds, it is gradually undermining competition from the market. existing private sector, while preventing market expansion outside the country. The free and fair trade in aluminum is at stake.

To restore the foundations of the market in a sustainable way, it is essential that the chosen solution takes into account the value chain as a whole. Several criteria have been identified to assess a sustainable approach. The solution must be market-based, it must be multilateral, it must be based on stakeholder engagement, ensure transparency, be reliable and comprehensive, allow oversight and must be verifiable. The solution favored by Summit participants is a governmental and multilateral Global Forum on Overcapacity in the Aluminum Industry based on a robust international monitoring system.

The leaders of the national aluminum associations ask the leaders of the G7 to formally request the creation of this Forum by the G20 and immediately establish the monitoring system.

The Aluminum Association of Canada, The Aluminum Association, European Aluminum, Aluminum France and the Japanese Aluminum Association are committed to supporting the G7, G20, OECD and other international organizations by sharing knowledge and data to permanently solve the problem of global aluminum overcapacity.

“For more than a decade, the Canadian aluminum industry has faced an imbalanced market. It is only through dialogue and international cooperation, by the G20 and the OECD, that the balance within the aluminum industry will be restored. The findings made today at the Montreal Aluminum Summit are the first step in this direction. ” Jean Simard, President and CEO of the Aluminum Association of Canada.

“The creation of a global forum will help us deal with the illegal Chinese overcapacity which is a challenge for companies operating in the aluminum industry, across the value chain and around the world. The action plan we have developed today is an important catalyst for these discussions. The aluminum industry speaks loudly and with one voice – now is the time to meet the challenge of China’s overcapacity once and for all. ” Heidi Brock, President and CEO of The Aluminum Association.

“We have said it on several occasions: the overcapacity of aluminum in China has significant impacts on our industry and only global solutions can allow us to meet this major challenge. The Montreal Aluminum Summit opened the debate on what we can do to contribute to the solution and allowed us to start thinking about how a world aluminum forum could lead to a more level playing field for globally, based on transparent data and strong governance. G20 leaders should consider our suggestions on the table and get down to business. »Gerd Götz, Managing Director of European Aluminum.

“The problem of overcapacity is dragging us into an unprecedented protectionist spiral which only increases the risk of economic war. The G20 must take up the subject to defuse this situation and focus on a multilateral solution ” Cyrille Mounir, General Delegate of Aluminum France.

“The adoption of an action plan for a world forum is a memorable success of this Summit. We hope that the forum will provide more transparency in the global aluminum industry. We are very happy that our association can contribute to this solution with associations from other countries to meet this common challenge. ” Yoshihisa Tabata, Executive Director of Japan Aluminum Association.

The Aluminum Association of Canada (AAC) is a non-profit organization that represents three world-class aluminum producers in Canada – Alcoa, Alouette and Rio Tinto – who operate ten plants in Canada, including nine in Quebec, employ more than 8,000 workers and generate more than US $ 5.5 billion in annual shipments. For more information, please visit http://www.aluminium.ca or Twitter @AAC_aluminium.

The Aluminum Association represents aluminum production and jobs related to the aluminum industry in the United States, ranging from primary production to value-added products and recycling, to industry suppliers. The Association is the dominant voice of the industry, providing global standards, business intelligence, sustainability research and industry expertise to member companies, policy makers and the general public.
The aluminum industry helps manufacturers produce sustainable and innovative products, including more fuel-efficient vehicles, recyclable packaging, greener buildings and modern electronics. In the United States, the aluminum industry generates $ 174 billion in economic activity. For more information, visit http://www.aluminum.org, on Twitter @AluminumNews or on Facebook.com/AluminumAssociation.

European Aluminum, founded in 1981 and based in Brussels, is the voice of the aluminum industry in Europe. We actively engage with decision makers and the entire stakeholder community to promote the exceptional properties of aluminum, ensure its growth and optimize the contribution that our metal can make to meet the challenges of sustainability in Europe.

Through environmental and technical expertise, economic and statistical analysis, scientific research, education and the sharing of best practices, public affairs and communication activities, European Aluminum promotes the use of aluminum as a material with permanent properties which is part of the solution to global challenges, while maintaining and improving the image of the industry, the material and its applications with their stakeholders. Our 80+ members include primary aluminum producers; downstream manufacturers of extruded, rolled and cast aluminum; recycled aluminum producers and national aluminum associations represent more than 600 factories in 30 European countries. Aluminum products are used in a wide range of markets, including automotive, transportation, high-tech engineering, construction, construction and packaging. For more information, visit www.european-aluminium.eu.

Aluminum France is the official organization which represents the aluminum industry in France to the public authorities, the administration, and civil society. It brings together French producers of alumina and primary aluminum, primary transformation players (rolling, spinning, foundry, forging), aluminum recyclers and refiners and equipment manufacturers. In total, there are more than 60 factories with more than 10,000 direct jobs and around 100,000 indirect jobs. 50% of French aluminum production comes from recycling with applications in strategic markets such as aerospace, defense, microelectronics, or applications essential to everyday life such as packaging, automotive , the building or the connections.
The industrial production of aluminum is a French invention and the 3 R&D centers which bring together more than 500 research engineers are world references. www.aluminium.fr

Japan Aluminum Association was established in 1947 (the old names were the Light Metal Rolling Association and the Light Metal Smelting Association of Japan). Now, about 140 companies have joined the JAA, their fields of activity being various: rolling, extrusion, manufacture and trade of aluminum. JAA represents the Japanese aluminum industry and plays an important role in public relations (including government relations), statistics and standards, and supports member companies in various fields ranging from research and development, energy and the environment, safety and health and many others. Through these activities, JAA tries to improve the values and sustainability of aluminum. For more information, visit http://www.aluminum.or.jp/english/.