Aluminium extruders from around the world have formed an alliance – International Fair Trade Alliance (IFTA) – designed to promote and defend fair trade practices.

The IFTA is a non-profit organisation created to bring together aluminium extrusion manufacturers and suppliers from across the globe for the purpose of promoting free and fair trade.

The alliance, which began forming earlier this summer, is comprised of aluminium extruders from North and South America, Australia and New Zealand, the Gulf States, and Israel, said a statement from IFTA.

Jason Weber, director - international market intelligence for Sapa Extrusion North America, and newly elected chairman of IFTA, said: "Our alliance believes that a network of market-based aluminium extrusion companies and associations can work together to support, teach, and advocate fair trade practices at a national and international level.”

The members of IFTA are convinced that non-market based economies are committed to undermining the principles of free enterprise through a variety of illegal and unfair trade practices that must be confronted by individual countries and at the World Trade Organization.

Lewis Saragossi, chairman and managing director of G James Glass & Aluminum and representing the Australian Aluminum Extrusion Association on IFTA's board, said: “We are all seeing illegal and unfair trade tactics from China being exported to other countries.”

“It is time for our industry to come together as a global community to share data and field intelligence so each of our marketplaces can efficiently and quickly confront these threats,” he added.

To date, the IFTA has recruited new members by invitation and operated on voluntarily donated funds. Extruders and extrusion trade associations are invited to contact IFTA to inquire how to get involved.

Jochen Münch, commercial director of Ecuadorian extruder Corporación Ecuatoriana de Aluminio Cedal, said: “What we are seeing is the proliferation of Chinese aluminium extrusions throughout South America.”

“As duties, have been imposed by countries like Australia, Canada, and the US; Chinese extruders are moving into new markets. So, even if you do not feel the threat today, just give it some time and you will,” he added.

The International Fair Trade Alliance will be managed by The Sanford Organization (TSO), a fully accredited association management company located in suburban Chicago, Illinois, US.

TSO manages trade associations, professional societies, and trade shows and is headed by Jeff Henderson. It provides administrative oversight for several organisations, including the Aluminium Extruders Council (AEC) and the Aluminium Anodizers Council, which allows TSO to provide efficient collaboration on common issues such as fair trade. – TradeArabia News Service