What's the Tariff on Aluminum (Unwrought)?
Primary aluminum from Canada, UAE, Russia.
Current Tariff Rate
25%
Pre-2025 Rate
10%
Rate Increase
+15pp
Price Impact
+25%
+$600
Real-World Price Impact
Before Tariffs
$2,400
1 ton aluminum
After Tariffs
$3,000
1 ton aluminum
That's $600 more per unit — a 25% price increase paid by the American buyer.
Note: Price estimates assume full tariff pass-through to consumers. Actual retail prices may vary — manufacturers may absorb some costs, shift production, or adjust margins.
The Story Behind This Tariff
Aluminum tariffs tell the story of America's vanished smelting industry. The US once produced 35% of the world's primary aluminum; today it's under 3%, with only five operating smelters remaining. The 25% Section 232 tariff, originally imposed in 2018, was designed to reverse this decline — but seven years later, not a single new smelter has been built. Aluminum smelting requires massive, cheap electricity, and US power costs make new capacity uneconomical regardless of tariff levels. Canada, historically the largest US aluminum supplier due to cheap Quebec hydropower, lost its exemption in 2025. The UAE, Russia (via sanctions complications), and Middle Eastern producers fill the gap. The tariff's most visible impact is on the beverage industry — aluminum cans cost more, raising beer and soda prices. The construction and automotive sectors, increasingly using aluminum for lightweighting, face sustained cost headwinds.
📦 Supply Chain
Primary Origin
CA
Made in USA
12%
Import Volume
$18.5B
Alternatives
UAE, Bahrain, India (all face 10% baseline)
📅 Tariff Timeline
2018
Section 232 tariff on aluminum imports
10%2020
Rate increased to match steel
25% (some countries)2022
Canada exemption via quota arrangement
0% (under quota)2025
All exemptions removed — universal 25%
25%👥 Consumer Impact
Households Affected
130M
Annual Cost Per Household
$75
💡 Did You Know?
- •The US had 23 aluminum smelters in 2000 — today only 5 remain operational, and zero new ones have been built since tariffs began
- •Smelting aluminum requires enormous electricity — a single smelter uses as much power as a city of 50,000 people
- •Canada's Quebec hydropower makes its aluminum among the greenest in the world — the tariff penalizes clean production
Tariff Details
- HTS Code
- 7601.10
- Current Rate
- 25%
- Pre-2025 Rate
- 10%
- Tariff Type
- Section 232
Legal Authority
Section 232 (National Security)
Effective: Various (2018-2025)
Tariffs on imports deemed a threat to national security
The tariff on Aluminum (Unwrought) is paid by the American importer at the port of entry and passed through to consumers as higher retail prices. The foreign manufacturer does not pay the tariff.
Who Actually Pays This Tariff?
Despite claims that tariffs are paid by foreign countries, the 25% tariff on Aluminum (Unwrought) is paid by American importers — US companies that purchase these goods from abroad. The cost is then passed to American consumers through higher retail prices.
- ✓ The foreign seller receives the same price as before
- ✓ The US importer pays 25% of the customs value to CBP
- ✓ The retailer marks up the higher landed cost
- ✓ You pay more at the register: $2,400 → $3,000
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10 kW system: $15,000 → $23,100
Industrial Machinery
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CNC machine: $85,000 → $93,500
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