Overview
- Ford’s request for a temporary break from aluminum import duties was turned down, according to multiple reports that cite ongoing talks with the administration.
- Novelis’ Oswego, New York, rolling mill went offline after two fires in late 2025, and the supplier has been backfilling with metal from Europe and South Korea that now carries a 50% tariff.
- Hindalco, Novelis’ parent, says the Oswego plant targets a restart toward the end of the second quarter, leaving automakers to absorb months of added costs in the meantime.
- Ford reports about $2 billion in costs already tied to the outage and expects roughly $1 billion more for imported aluminum in 2026, with profit pressure and tighter F-Series inventories on dealer lots.
- A separate tariff overhaul announced at the end of March applies 25% duties to the full value of many aluminum-containing products, a shift expected to lift costs further for finished auto parts and vehicles.