Ford Motor sought tariff relief from the Trump administration on aluminum imports after a fire disrupted a key supplier, but the request was denied, the Wall Street Journal reported.
"While Ford and other automakers have raised supply concerns in light of the Novelis incident, they have not requested tariff relief on this matter in a particularly pronounced way," an official told the news outlet.
A fire in September at an aluminum sheet plant owned by Novelis in Oswego, New York, has wreaked havoc on the automotive industry, including temporary shutdowns at automotive plants and delays on the delivery of new aluminum parts.
Novelis supplies 10 automakers, including Ford, Stellantis and Toyota.
The company has been offsetting lost output at its Oswego facility by sourcing aluminum from plants in Europe and South Korea, but those imports face a 50% tariff under President Donald Trump's trade policy, costs that are ultimately passed on to automakers purchasing the metal.
Novelis has said it expects the hot mill to be running at full capacity by early May.
At Ford, the aluminum shortage has forced the company to cut F-Series truck production by half.
"It's very important for Ford, and they find themselves in a difficult spot," Daniel Ives, analyst at investment firm Wedbush Securities Inc., told the Detroit News.
"Relief from aluminum tariffs are important. Pressure from all different angles. In this geopolitical landscape, more things have gone against, not just Ford, but a lot of the other automakers."
Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at consulting firm AutoForecast Solutions LLC, told the News that Ford is in a position "where because they don't have enough inventory of F-150s, it's showing up in their sales.
"Ford secured their aluminum years ago. They probably weren't expecting to be charged more for something they agreed upon pre-tariff. Given the extreme use of aluminum on the F-150, it's definitely going to hurt their bottom line," he added.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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