House Republicans Question Why Aluminum Tariffs Continue

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., is asking why tariffs on aluminum seem to be permanent fixtures at the same time that there's a pause on potential anti-circumvention duties on Southeast Asian solar panels.

In a letter joined by other Republicans on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, Comer noted that aluminum suppliers are passing through the tariffs even when only part of the purchase was subject to the tariffs. (Canadian aluminum is not subject to the 10% tariff).

"Considering comments you made in a June 5, 2022 interview, expressing the Department’s unlikeliness to lift aluminum tariffs, Committee Republicans request information about the Department’s posture towards aluminum tariffs and their expected impact on inflation, manufacturing, and trade," Comer wrote in the letter, which was addressed to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

He said that the decision to waive potential duties on solar panels but not to end the tariffs on some imported aluminum "is cherry picking policies that benefit certain industries."