BRUSSELS — The EU intends to use a planned export duty on aluminum scrap as a test case for similar measures on copper, rare-earth magnets and batteries.
The tariff is expected to apply from the first ton, two industry representatives said, as opposed to allowing a certain volume to leave tariff-free.
A tariff on aluminum scrap could be revealed as soon as Sept. 9, when the European Commission is due to adopt a “proposal on addressing supply chain dependencies.” An EU official and the two industry representatives confirmed to POLITICO that this would be the aluminum scrap measure.
Almost half of Europe’s aluminum demand is met with recycled scrap, which requires far less energy to produce than primary aluminum. But with the metal fetching record prices in the U.S. and China, much of Europe’s supply is now being exported. The U.S. charges a 50 percent tariff on primary aluminum, but imports scrap duty-free.
