Chinese aluminium imports face 70 per cent tariffs as local industry suffers $422m hit

China may face up to a 70 per cent tariff on aluminium windows and doors exports to Australia, as the federal government cracks down on the product being “dumped” here.

The Australian Trade Remedies Commission (ATRC) has made a preliminary finding that Chinese manufacturers are receiving unfair government subsidies when producing aluminium windows and doors.

Initial reports found goods were sold with a dumping margin of somewhere between 5.3 to 70.4 per cent of their fair price.

Discrepancies varied depending on which Chinese company was importing aluminium to Australia.

ATRC also found some Chinese exporters were being given modest subsidies from various levels of the Chinese government.

These include cheaper energy for aluminium manufacturing and cheaper rates from state-controlled banks.

The preliminary report found local manufacturers’ sales volumes fell by about 19 per cent from July 2021 through to June 2025.

Over the same four-year period, the value of their sales dropped about 14 per cent from a peak in the 2023 financial year, according to the report.

“The commissioner has preliminarily found that during the investigation period, the goods exported to Australia by certain exporters from China were dumped and subsidised,” the report said.

“The commissioner has also found that the dumped and subsidised goods have caused material injury to the Australian industry producing like goods.”

A final recommendation will be sent to Industry and Innovation Minister Tim Ayres no later than December 16, 2026.

This extended timeline allows for further consultation and analysis before any permanent measures are implemented.

This comes after the Albanese government recently announced $4.7bn in taxpayer funding to support aluminium smelters across the country.

Sites in Tasmania, Queensland and NSW have struggled to stay competitive compared with cheaper overseas options.