Aluminum licensing through the AIM system was initially expected on January 25th, delayed to March 29th, 2021, then further delayed until June 28th after a regulatory freeze occurred at the onset of the Biden administration.
On May 20th, the U.S. Department of Commerce released a final rule confirming that the requirements for licenses in the Aluminum Import Monitoring System (AIM) will go into effect on June 28th, 2021.
This rule also states that the “unknown” will be accepted for the smelting information required on the license until June 28th 2022. Please begin collecting the smelting information in preparation for the requirement.
The AIM system will be a tool for The U.S. Department of Commerce to monitor aluminum import levels. The licensing requirement applies to “basic aluminum products” under the following tariff schedule headings and subheadings: 7601, 7604, 7605, 7606, 7607, 7608, 7609, 7616.99.51.60 and 7616.99.51.70.
After registering on the new system, importers or their brokers will have to provide all the following information for each shipment prior to filing the entry summary:
- Filer company name and address
- Filer contact name, phone number, fax number and email address
- Entry type (i.e., Consumption, Foreign-Trade Zone)
- Importer name
- Exporter name
- Manufacturer name (filer may state “unknown”)
- Country of origin
- Country of exportation
- Expected date of export
- Expected date of import
- Expected port of entry
- Current HTS number (from Chapters 76)
- Country where the largest volume of primary aluminum used in the manufacture of the product was smelted* (after one-year grace period)
- Country where the second largest volume of primary aluminum used in the manufacture of the product was smelted* (after one-year grace period)
- Country where the product was most recently cast
- Quantity (in kilograms)
- Customs value (in U.S. $ amount).
Following a one-year grace period, Commerce will require importers to report the country where imported aluminum products were smelted.*
Please note that no import licenses would be required on informal entries of aluminum products (i.e., entries under $2,500 that comply with other CBP requirements for informal entry.) For shipments containing less than $5,000 in aluminum, applicants would be able to apply for a reusable Low-Value License that can be used in lieu of a single-entry license for low-value entries, Commerce said.
If you have questions, please contact the U.S. Regulatory Team at transitionus@willsonintl.com.