The US and Japan are initiating consultations to address overcapacity in the steel and aluminum sector, the US Commerce Secretary noted.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced today that they will begin consultations with Japan to address overcapacity in steel and aluminum, the statement said. According to the press release, Washington is concerned about how the excess of non-market manufacturing capacity in the world, linked mainly to China is affecting American industry.

These consultations with Japan represent an opportunity to promote high standards, respond to common challenges, including climate change, and hold accountable countries such as China that“ allegedly support non-market measures and practices, the Ministry of Trade added. In the framework of the talks, in particular, the issue of the American duties introduced in 2018 on steel and aluminum from Japan will be discussed.

In late October, Washington and Brussels announced a settlement of their differences over US duties on steel and aluminum from the EU. As Raimondo explained at the time, the agreement allows a limited amount of steel and aluminum from the EU to be imported into the United States without duties, although some of these measures remain in place. According to Bloomberg, the agreements concern the abolition of duties on products totaling more than $ 10 billion a year.