Fair Trade - July 2013

Fair Trade Defense Fund Growing Toward Goal

AEC launched the largest fundraising initiative in its history this spring when it announced intentions to raise $1.2 million per year in voluntary contributions - from members and non-members alike - to fund the defense of anti-dumping duties on aluminum extrusions coming into the U.S. from China. Thanks to the importance of these duties, and to the foresight and generosity of two dozen (so far) key industry players, pledges for this crucial program reached 67% of goal ($802,200) by the end of July 2013.

As was explained in AEC President Rand Baldwin's recent open letter to the industry, Aluminum Extruders Council is committed to retaining fair trade in the newly-leveled playing field. Benefits of doing so have been extraordinary and have, quite possibly, saved the domestic industry by re-shoring hundreds of millions of dollars of lost business and thousands of production and management jobs.

As the "bundler" of contributions, AEC will pay the industry's legal bills and pass through 100% of all paid pledges for that purpose. "While this initiative is off to a very good start," said Baldwin, "it's imperative that we get all the way to the goal of $1.2 million per year. Anything short of that runs the risk that we will be forced to stop defending these duties."  If that were to happen, the duties could be eliminated altogether and the recent gains made by U.S. extruders could be lost forever.

AEC is planning a very special "push to the top" for the Management Conference this fall (September 17-19 in Chicago), with the goal being to crest the $1.2 million mark.  For more information on the fall event, please go to www.aecmeets.org or click here.