Wittbecker on Aluminum: The impact of tariff uncertainty and UBC tightness

This week saw the aluminum industry gather at the S&P Platts Aluminum Symposium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The event normally draws a decent crowd because it is the first opportunity for the industry to exchange thoughts in the new calendar year. It also gives people a respite from the winter as it normally rotates between Florida, Arizona and California.

There are two central themes that are worth focusing on this week: the impact of what at the time were Trump’s proposed tariffs and the tightness in used beverage container scrap. (Those tariffs – 25% on imports from Canada, 10% on imports from China – are now scheduled to go into effect on Tuesday.)