Proclamation 10327-Adjusting Imports of Aluminum Into the United States

On December 27, 2021, President Biden issued Proclamation 10327, adjusting imports of aluminum into the United States. The proclamation used the President's authority under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to modify tariffs on aluminum imports in the interest of national security. Section 232 allows the President to impose or adjust import restrictions when the Secretary of Commerce determines that imports threaten to impair national security, and it has been the basis for a series of tariff actions on steel and aluminum going back to the Trump administration.

This particular proclamation made targeted adjustments to the existing Section 232 aluminum tariff structure, addressing specific country exemptions, quota arrangements, or tariff rates affecting particular trading partners or product categories. Such adjustments are made periodically as trade relationships evolve and as the administration works to resolve disputes with allies and partners while maintaining the core tariff framework protecting domestic aluminum production capacity.

The proclaimed adjustments reflected the administration's effort to balance national security considerations with trade policy goals, including maintaining productive relationships with key allies. Domestic aluminum production capacity is considered a national security asset, and the tariff regime is intended to ensure that sufficient domestic production capability is preserved, even as the administration sought to reduce friction with trading partners who had contested the tariffs through international dispute mechanisms.

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