BUSINESS/ECONOMY/TARIFFS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. aluminum prices are falling despite a tariff aimed at boosting domestic production of the metal. That’s good news for manufacturers of products such as beer cans and car hoods, which are paying 3% less for aluminum than they were before the Trump administration announced the tariff on March 1. These manufacturers said at the time that the 10% tariff on foreign aluminum could push up prices and cause a domestic aluminum shortage just as their orders pick up in a strong economy. And while a delivery premium applied to aluminum in the U.S. rose more than 40% in the weeks before the tariff order went into effect on March 23, that surcharge has fallen recently in anticipation of adequate supplies in the months ahead. Overall, the U.S. price for aluminum last week was $2,415 per metric ton, down 6% from a recent peak in February.”
-Bob Tita, “Despite New Tariffs, Aluminum Is Actually Cheaper,” The Wall Street Journal, April 5, 2018 5:30 am