In March of this year, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) made a preliminary decision to impose new import duties on South Korean and Thai aluminum foil products. Why? The DOC wrongly concluded that aluminum foil producers were circumventing antidumping and countervailing duty orders on aluminum foil from the People’s Republic of China.
So how will this impact consumers? If finalized in its current state, this decision will inflict tens of millions of dollars in costs on American packaging producers, resulting in the loss of American manufacturing jobs to overseas competitors and raising prices for household products at a time when many are already feeling the pressure of increasing costs.
The solidification of this shortsighted decision could be felt in all areas of consumer goods including food, medical, and personal care packaging. The result will mean consumers are forced to spend more money on limitedly available products made with aluminum foil.
The type of aluminum foil used in this packaging is not produced in the U.S., thus, flexible packaging manufacturers must import, a fact that DOC has already conceded. Thus, the final decision, expected in November 2023, should exempt thin-gauge packaging foil unless and until it is available domestically.
The Flexible Packaging Association is standing up against the DOC’s unnecessary action and keeping the packaging industry and the livelihood of consumers a priority! Learn more about the case here and here.
