Philip Grothe can’t hide his glee. “Thank you, Mr. Trump,” says the CEO of Alimex, a small medium-sized company from Willich, Germany on the lower Rhine, and referring to the punitive tariffs on aluminum. Since June, the United States collect at the behest of the President, a surcharge of ten percent on aluminum imports, including from the European Union (EU). And since then, the U.S. business is even more rewarding than before for the specialist providers, according to its own statement, the form most stable and voltage poorest cast aluminum plates sold on the market. Alimex is planning her own production in America.
The first machines have already been ordered, reported to Grothe. Beginning in 2019, they come in a factory hall in Columbia in the U.S. state of South Carolina, where the company operates since 2006 as a sales office, with a small finishing with a total of eight employees. “For more plants, just the development process has begun,” says Grothe. “We use the current location for a forward strategy.” This includes additional sales people for the US market, even set now. The conditions could hardly be any better: There is a high demand and rising prices.
Although wanted to strengthen Donald Trump with his duties to the domestic producers. The local company with 160,000 employees suffering under a chronic under-utilisation. At the beginning of 2018, 48 percent of the systems in use were just, the target a value of at least 80 percent. However, the customer the incentive to buy in the US providers is missing. Because of the lack of quality – high-quality and highly specialised aluminium products.
“can’t be made in this quality in the United States but often non-existent,” according to the General Association of the aluminium industry (GDA). The processors are therefore dependent on imports. The evidence is also the fact, that the imports into the United States are already since years, almost four times higher than exports. From a German production of about 82,000 tons originate, the Federal Republic of Germany is the tenth largest supplier.
“The mine, the more processors of aluminum”
numbers On the other, the customers accepted US goods, despite the customs duties for the products of the competition, no price advantage. Because the local providers have taken the opportunity to increase their prices. According to GDA the level of the bottom line has risen by more than ten percent. “The mine of the protectionist policy numbers, so the more processors of Aluminium”, says Christian Wellner, Executive presiding member of the GDA, among other things, with reference to the car maker Ford. Had to recently lower after a profit slump in its forecast and stated as a reason in addition to a weaker demand in Europe and China explicitly by Donald Trump, introduced tariffs on steel and aluminum.
vendors such as Alimex benefit. “We achieve in the U.S. market, has already had more sales than 2017,” confirmed commercial-in-chief Grothe. “Also because we can clearly sell more expensive.” Adverse effects, the duties you give it. So the medium-sized companies, whose products are used in the aerospace and the automotive industry, in semiconductor manufacturing and in the mechanical switches, in the attack mode. “We’re going now right out,” says Grothe in the Trump Jargon.
Alone, 4.5 million Euro, the operating invested around 60 million euros in annual turnover in the planned production in the United States. It was decided this project three months ago – so after the entry into force of the U.S. duties. “Trump has inspired us,” says Grothe, who expects that other aluminum-provider animated feel to invest in the US market. “Protectionism of this kind does not end the dying process of the U.S. aluminum industry”, he is convinced, given the gaps in the Quality of the provider. He will, at best, slows down. And if the special situation is over? “Then, we have built up close to the customer.”
“aluminum is the Material of the future”
Because the characters in the industry are set for growth – in America as in other regions of the world. So anyway, it looks to the industry itself. Alimex, for example, has set itself the goal to increase sales within five years to 90 million euros in at least 50 percent. Support comes from Brussels. “Aluminum is the Material of the future”, says Gerd Götz, Director General of the European industry Association, European Aluminium.
by 2050 will the global demand by 50 percent, to around 108 million tons, he announced recently at the industry trade fair Aluminium in Düsseldorf. The main driver of issues such as lightweight construction, mobility and infrastructure. “We are not afraid,” says therefore, GDA representative Wellner. Not customs and not of a downturn.
With a measure, however, Trump could meet Europe’s aluminium producers, but still: the US sanctions against Russia, the Rusal threatens to wegzufallen group as a Partner. But both of the largest aluminium supplier in the EU as well as the largest European supplier of aluminum oxide for the Aluminium production in the European huts are necessary.
“Should no longer be able to provide Rusal in the short or medium term, threaten loss of production, decommissioning of installations and a cost-intensive and months of continuous warns re-commissioning of huts in Germany and Europe”, Wellner. The cooperation with the industry giants penalty-free. Whether this remains the case, decided on may 12. November, shortly after the US elections. Alimex would not be in anyway affected, insured, managing Director at Grothe: “We purchase our raw materials from somewhere else.”
