Mollie Sitkowski Comments on U.S. Production of Aluminum, Tariff Impacts With Commercial Observer

Customs and international trade partner Mollie Sitkowski commented on aluminum tariffs in a story discussing the creation of a new aluminum plant in Oklahoma with the Commercial Observer.

The new facility, which is the first primary production plant built in the U.S. since 1980 according to the publication, fits into a larger narrative about tariffs and onshoring and their effects on industrial real estate. Sitkowski said that a new production plant is a good a sign for the economy, and shows evidence that “tariffs are at least partly working” in regards to the president’s goals of onshoring manufacturing back to the U.S.

Sitkowski added that the plant could create more competition from U.S. businesses that want to avoid a foreign import tax by sourcing product domestically.

““They are probably going to be a big exporter, because now there’s a competitive reason to use U.S. small-cast aluminum in that you're avoiding 50 percent tariffs,” Sitkowski said. “It’s a big deal to have another option of U.S. aluminum in the global market for everyone else to use.”