Century Aluminum Applauds President Trump for Executive Order to Fully Enforce Sec. 232 Aluminum Tariffs

Rhea-AI Summary

Century Aluminum (NASDAQ: CENX) praised President Trump’s April 2, 2026 executive order clarifying enforcement of Section 232 aluminum tariffs. The order keeps the 50% tariff on primary aluminum and closes valuation loopholes, requiring importers to declare the full value of covered products.

According to Century Aluminum, reinforced tariffs helped expand U.S. aluminum production by 10% and the company has committed billions to double U.S. capacity and create thousands of jobs.

Positive

• Section 232 primary aluminum tariff maintained at 50%
• Executive order closes valuation loopholes, improving enforcement
• Century reports U.S. aluminum production up 10%
• Company committed billions to double U.S. production capacity
• Planned investments expected to create thousands of American jobs

Negative

• None.

News Market Reaction – CENX

-1.48%

1 alert

-1.48% Session close to close

$6.29B Market Cap

0.0x Rel. Volume

In the Apr 2 session, CENX declined 1.48%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Market Context

This announcement underscores continued, strict enforcement of Section 232 aluminum tariffs, keeping...

Analysis

This announcement underscores continued, strict enforcement of Section 232 aluminum tariffs, keeping the primary aluminum tariff at 50% and tightening valuation loopholes. Century highlights a 10% increase in U.S. production and long-term investment plans tied to these policies. In context of recent earnings strength and expansion initiatives, investors may monitor future policy developments, capacity additions, insider activity, and execution on announced projects to gauge how durable these operational gains remain.

Key Figures

Section 232 aluminum tariff: 50% U.S. production increase: 10%

2 metrics

Section 232 aluminum tariff 50% Tariff on primary aluminum remains unchanged under Section 232

U.S. production increase 10% Century reports 10% expansion in U.S. aluminum production since reinforcement

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Mar 23 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	24h Move	Catalyst
Mar 23	Leadership promotion	Positive	+8.1%	Promotion of Levi Chaffin to Senior VP of Operations, Americas.
Feb 24	Strategic agreement	Positive	+3.2%	Exploratory agreement for Oklahoma downstream plant and hub development.
Feb 23	Conference participation	Positive	-1.5%	CEO presentation at BMO 2026 Global Metals & Mining conference.
Feb 20	Policy statement	Positive	+0.3%	Supportive statement on U.S. Supreme Court IEEPA tariffs ruling.
Feb 19	Earnings results	Positive	+0.3%	Q4 and FY 2025 results with guidance and Oklahoma smelter agreement.

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Pattern Detected

Recent positive corporate and policy-related news generally coincided with positive price reactions, with one divergence on a conference participation update.

Recent Company History

Over recent months, Century Aluminum reported strong FY 2025 results, including net sales of $2.53B and adjusted EBITDA of $425.1M, and issued Q1 2026 adjusted EBITDA expectations. The company highlighted trade-policy support, including an IEEPA tariffs ruling statement on Feb 20, 2026, and strategic growth via an Oklahoma smelter project expected to double U.S. primary aluminum production. Leadership developments, such as the promotion of a new Senior VP of Operations, also featured. Today’s supportive Section 232 enforcement commentary fits this broader pro-tariff, capacity-expansion narrative.

Key Terms

Section 232, executive order

2 terms

Section 232 regulatory

"The Section 232 tariff on primary aluminum is unchanged and remains at 50 percent."

A provision of U.S. trade law that lets the government review whether certain imports threaten national security and, if they do, impose measures such as tariffs, quotas or restrictions. For investors, it matters because these actions can suddenly raise costs, disrupt supply chains, or shield domestic producers—like a safety valve that can change competitive dynamics and profit outlooks for companies tied to affected imports.

executive order regulatory

"Century Aluminum Company (NASDAQ: CENX) is applauding President Donald Trump’s new executive order"

An executive order is a formal directive issued by a country’s chief executive (for example, a president or prime minister) that tells government agencies how to apply or enforce laws and policies without waiting for new legislation. It matters to investors because these orders can quickly change rules, permits, taxes, trade or regulatory enforcement—like a manager changing company policy overnight—creating risks or opportunities that can affect company costs, revenues and share prices.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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CHICAGO, April 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Century Aluminum Company (NASDAQ: CENX) is applauding President Donald Trump’s new executive order that will close valuation loopholes that importers have been using to avoid the President’s tariffs on steel and aluminum, leveling the playing field for American manufacturers. The Section 232 tariff on primary aluminum is unchanged and remains at 50 percent.

Importers had been abusing valuation loopholes to reduce their liability under the President’s steel and aluminum tariffs. In some instances, importers declared only the value of raw steel and aluminum while excluding value added through processing, thereby lowering the tariff owed and disadvantaging domestic manufacturers. The order clarifies that importers must declare the full value of covered products, promoting consistent enforcement and fair competition across the aluminum supply chain.

“Century Aluminum strongly supports President Trump’s executive order, which defends American manufacturing and holds foreign companies accountable for unfair practices by closing loopholes that importers had previously tried to use to cheat the system,” said Century CEO Jesse Gary. “With the 50% Section 232 tariffs on primary aluminum still fully in force with no exemptions or exceptions, today’s executive order reinforces that foreign actors will no longer be allowed to game the system at the expense of Americans.

“Century Aluminum is proof that President Trump’s policies are working. Since President Trump reinforced Section 232 last year, with no exemptions or exceptions, we have expanded U.S. aluminum production by 10% and committed billions to new capacity that will double US production and create thousands of new American jobs. Century is investing for the long term and will continue to lead the revitalization of American aluminum production.”

About Century Aluminum Company

With its corporate headquarters located in Chicago, IL, Century Aluminum owns and operates primary aluminum smelting facilities in the United States and Iceland and is the majority owner and managing partner of the Jamalco alumina refinery in Jamaica. Visit www.centuryaluminum.com for more information.

        Investors: Chad Rigg, 312.696.3132, investorrelations@centuryaluminum.com
        Media: Tawn Earnest, 614.698.6351, tawn.earnest@centuryaluminum.com

FAQ

What did Century Aluminum (CENX) say about the April 2, 2026 executive order on tariffs?

Century Aluminum said the order strengthens enforcement and closes valuation loopholes used to reduce tariff liability. According to Century, the action preserves the 50% Section 232 tariff and promotes fair competition for U.S. producers.

How does the April 2, 2026 executive order affect the Section 232 aluminum tariff rate for CENX?

The executive order leaves the tariff rate unchanged at 50% for primary aluminum. According to Century Aluminum, the order clarifies valuation reporting, ensuring importers declare the full value of covered products.

What production impact does Century Aluminum (CENX) attribute to reinforced Section 232 policies?

Century states U.S. aluminum production has increased by 10% since reinforcement of Section 232. According to Century Aluminum, that growth supports its investments to expand capacity and create American jobs.

How much is Century Aluminum (CENX) investing to expand U.S. production and jobs?

Century says it has committed billions to double U.S. production capacity and create thousands of jobs. According to Century Aluminum, these investments reflect long-term expansion tied to tariff enforcement.

What enforcement change did the April 2, 2026 order make that matters to CENX shareholders?

The order requires importers to declare the full value of covered aluminum products, closing valuation loopholes. According to Century Aluminum, this promotes consistent enforcement and levels the playing field for U.S. manufacturers.