Update from the Biden Administration on aluminum imports and licensing requirements

On December 31, 2020, BDP advised that if you are an importer of aluminum, a new import licensing system was going into effect on January 25, 2021. Since then, a few things have changed that will alter the effective date.

On January 20, 2021, President Biden issued a Presidential Action that places a freeze on all new and pending rules and this regulation falls within that category.

Commerce is now delaying the effective date until March 29, 2021. This delay in effective date is necessary to allow the new Biden Administration proper time to review the Final Rule and consider any additional comments before implementation.

Unless otherwise announced, the majority of the final rule will be effective on March 29, 2021.  Additionally, The Federal Register will officially post this change on January 27, 2021.

Update, May 21, 2021: The Commerce Department on May 20 released a final rule confirming its June 28 effective date for licensing requirements under its Aluminum Import Monitoring System (see 2103290041), but extending by six months, until June 28, 2022, the period during which filers can put “unknown” for data elements on where the aluminum was smelted.

If you have any questions about this change please do not hesitate to contact me.