ZAGREB, 3 March, 2021 - The U.S. Commerce Department on Tuesday issued final anti-dumping duties on common alloy aluminium sheet from 18 countries investigated, including Croatia, Reuters reported.

The anti-dumping case and a companion anti-subsidy countervailing duty case were initiated under the Trump administration in March 2020 and in October it introduced preliminary duties on imports from 18 countries.

The group includes Germany, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Romania, Greece, Turkey, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Egypt, Oman, South Africa, and Bahrain.

The U.S. Commerce Department on Tuesday confirmed the introduction of duty rates.

Germany had the highest anti-dumping rate, ranging from 49.4% to 242.8%, and it has now been slightly lowered compared to October. In the 18-country group Germany is the largest exporter of aluminium sheet to the United States, with $286.6 million worth in 2019.

Bahrain, second with $241.2 million worth of aluminium sheet exported to the United States, received a 4.83% anti-dumping duty rate and an anti-subsidy rate of up to 6.44%.

The rate for aluminium imports from Croatia will be 3.19%, a mild correction compared to the preliminary decision of October 2020, under which the rate  was 3.22%.

Aluminium imports from Turkey will be taxed with the lowest duty rate, of 2.02%.

The duties will come on top of 10% U.S. tariffs imposed on most aluminium imports by the Trump administration under a national security law.

The duties were announced just hours after Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo won confirmation as the new U.S. Commerce Secretary in an 84-15 U.S. Senate vote.

The goal is to expedite a quality renovation of the rolling mill after a fire