Commerce Delays, Reopens Comments on Aluminum Licensing Rule

The Commerce Department will put new aluminum import licensing regulations on hold and seek more comments on the program, it said in a notice released Jan. 25. “This delay in effective date is necessary to allow the incoming Administration time to review the Final Rule and consider any additional comments before implementation,” Commerce said. Comments on the final rule are now due Feb. 26. “Parties are invited to comment on all aspects of the Final Rule and” the Aluminum Import Monitoring and Analysis System, it said.

As announced by final rule in December (see 2012220033), the AIM system had been set to take effect Jan. 25. It requires importers of aluminum or their customs brokers to submit information in an online portal to obtain an automatically issued license, then to submit the license number with entry summary documentation. A similar program for steel imports has been in effect since 2005.

Now, unless “otherwise announced, the majority of the final rule will be effective on March 29, 2021,” Commerce said. Provisions allowing importers to say “unknown” for certain required data elements will continue to be in place until Dec. 24, 2021, “as originally stated in the final rule.” President Joe Biden, on his first day in office, announced a freeze on regulations that were published under his predecessor but that have not yet taken effect (see 2101210039).