The EU plans to impose a 15% tariff on the export of aluminum waste.
June 30, 2026
According to the Financial Times of the UK, the EU plans to impose fees on the export of aluminum scrap to prevent it from flowing to the United States and Asia. In the global competition for resources, scrap has become a new battleground. The plan proposes an export tax of 15%, which will be the first time that Brussels has imposed fees on outbound goods. According to two informed sources, this measure is expected to come into effect officially on September 9th. EU aluminum producers stated that due to the higher profits of overseas smelters, they can purchase scrap aluminum at higher prices in Europe, melt it into new metals, and then export it back to the EU, resulting in their disadvantage in bidding. Paul Voss, the general director of the European Aluminum Industry Association, said: "European industries should have the opportunity to compete on a fair stage. This pioneering measure is an important manifestation of the Commission's increasingly firm determination to take necessary actions and defend European interests in a world that has undergone fundamental and irreversible changes."
