Issues Facing the Industry
Government Policy
Trade
International trade is a vitally important to the health of the aluminum industry and the industry has generated success both at home and abroad.
The members of the Aluminum Association are fully committed to a fair and open world market for aluminum. The Aluminum Association strongly supports the initiation of global trade negotiations in the World Trade Organization (WTO). The Association supports a comprehensive approach to the phased-in reduction and elimination of tariffs over a multi-year period, not to exceed ten years. In addition, we believe that all aluminum producing, importing and exporting countries should participate in the Round, and that no country be required to reduce or eliminate its tariffs on a unilateral basis.
Energy
At an annual sum of more than $2 billion, the aluminum industry is a major industrial user of electricity. Since the electrolytic process is the only commercially proven method of producing aluminum, the industry has on its own pursued opportunities to reduce its use of electricity. In the last 50 years, the average amount of electricity needed to make a pound of aluminum has been slashed from 12 kilowatt hours to about 7 kilowatt hours.
Environment and Climate Change
From the environmental perspective, the aluminum industry also is a leader in the preservation of natural resources. Total aluminum industry supply in 2005 was 25 billion pounds, 30 percent of which was recycled aluminum. The luminum industry melted 1.51 billion aluminum cans in 2005, accounting for 52 percent of beverage can shipments. Almost 90 percent of automotive aluminum is reclaimed and recycled.
Since the Industry has taken the initiative to voluntarily reduce its process greenhouse gas emissions, it strongly supports policies and programs that credit for early action taken in reducing greenhouse gases since 1990. The Industry also supports efficient and economically sound emissions trading programs and registries that recognize early emissions reductions.
The industry supports and participates in public/private partnerships to spur pre-competitive research to reduce greenhouse gas process emissions and to promote energy saving aluminum product applications. The industry supports a responsible approach to growth in demand for its products and the consequent growth in activity and related emissions, noting that solutions to the climate change issue involve both reducing emissions at source and also over the full lifecycle of the material or products.
Related Documents
Write Your Member of the U.S. Congress
As key Federal issues arise affecting your company and the aluminum industry, use this link to find your U.S. Congress Member's address, fax, and e-mail, and write your Member. For positions on industry issues, contact Robin King at the Aluminum Association by email at rking@aluminum.org
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