US removes duties on certain aluminium can stock from India

• The US has removed qualifying aluminium can stock from antidumping and countervailing duty orders covering India and 16 other countries

• The change applies retrospectively to eligible shipments that US customs authorities have not finally assessed

• The relief is limited to specified can stock and does not remove separate tariffs on aluminium imports

The United States has removed antidumping and countervailing duties on certain aluminium can stock imported from India, following a review that clarified which products are excluded from existing trade remedy orders.

In a notice published on 24 September, the US Commerce Department said the partial revocation covers qualifying aluminium stock used to make beverage cans, lids and opening tabs. The decision applies to India and 16 other countries, while the broader orders on common alloy aluminium sheet remain in force.

Can stock is a thin aluminium sheet made to specified gauges and tempers, with a lubricant that helps it move through can-making machinery. For US manufacturers sourcing eligible material from India, the removal of these additional duties could reduce import costs.

It also gives Indian exporters greater certainty when supplying this specialised part of the packaging market. The actual saving will depend on the duties previously applicable to a shipment and any separate tariffs it faces.

The review followed a request from a US aluminium industry group, which said qualifying can stock had always been intended to fall outside the orders, regardless of its tariff classification. Commerce amended the exclusion to make clear that the product’s written description, rather than its classification under the US tariff schedule, determines whether it qualifies.

The change applies retrospectively to eligible shipments that US customs authorities have not finally assessed. Commerce said it would instruct US Customs and Border Protection to process those entries without the affected antidumping and countervailing duties and refund any estimated payments collected under the orders.

For Indian exporters, the decision offers relief in a specific segment of the US market. Other aluminium sheet products covered by the existing orders remain subject to trade remedy duties, and the notice does not remove any separate tariffs that may apply to metal imports.

With IANS inputs