Aluminum Extrusion Fair Trade to be Addressed at AEC 2014 Annual Meeting

(Wauconda, Illinois; February 11, 2014) -- The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) is pleased to announce that Robert DeFrancesco, Attorney at Law, Wiley Rein LLP, will be making a special presentation at the AEC's 2014 Annual Meeting & Leadership Conference, March 18-20, which will be co-located with CRU's Aluminum Trends Conference at the Biltmore Hotel located in Coral Gables, Florida.

Mr. De Francesco's presentation, entitled The Rise of State-Owned Entities and Their Effects on Metal Trade: A Case Study, the U.S. Countervailing Duty Case Against Aluminum Extrusions from China, will give attendees a rare inside look at trade issues confronting the metals industries. "The aluminum extrusion case is one of the largest and most complex trade remedies cases to be litigated in recent memory. It is an ideal case study to examine the issues that confront the metals industry as it relates to trade relations and non-market and market economies alike," Mr. DeFrancesco said.

"We are excited that Wiley Rein has offered to present their legal insights to our membership attending this years' spring conference," said Rand Baldwin, AEC President. Mr. Baldwin adds, "This case has been one of the most important initiatives in the history of the Aluminum Extruders Council and has been a key factor in the success of the North American extrusion industry in the past five years."

The Aluminum Extruders Council has led the U.S. aluminum extrusion industry in achieving level competition by winning tariff protection that offsets unfair trade practices of extruders/importers of aluminum profiles produced in China. Conservatively, AEC estimates 600 million pounds per year of extrusions are being produced in the U. S. that would have otherwise been lost to China. In his presentation scheduled for Wednesday, March 19 during a joint session with CRU, Mr. DeFrancesco will examine how the rise of state-owned enterprises has affected the metals trade and specifically the impact on the aluminum extrusion industry, as well as other primary metal consuming industries.

Paul Williams, Research Manager, Aluminum, with CRU said, "Our attendees will gain real insight into an area that is becoming increasingly more significant in their respective industries. Trade issues continue to be one of the hottest and most concerning areas in the metals industry. Our joint meeting with the AEC looks to be one of our most successful events in recent years, and we thank the AEC for their partnership in it."

The AEC Annual Meeting & Leadership Conference provides aluminum extrusion industry leaders with practical information and valuable insight into the issues and challenges that they face every day. This year, the AEC Annual Meeting will be collocated with CRU's North American Aluminum Trends Conference, offering a comprehensive aluminum industry program for AEC members and CRU subscribers. Outlooks on the economy, aluminum supply and demand, aluminum demand drivers and a review of the North American aluminum extrusion industry are on the schedule, as well as updates on important AEC initiatives such as Aluminum Extrusion Fair Trade and Industry Promotion.

About AEC
The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) is an international trade association dedicated to advancing the effective use of aluminum extrusion in North America. AEC is committed to bringing comprehensive information about extrusion's characteristics, applications, environmental benefits, design and technology to users, product designers, engineers and the academic community. Further, AEC is focused on enhancing the ability of its members to meet the emerging demands of the market through sharing knowledge and best practices. For more information visit www.AEC.org and on Twitter @AEC_org.

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For more information please contact:

Nancy Molenda, Communications Manager
nmolenda@tso.net

847/526-2010 x227