Senators said neither the Phase 1 trade deal with China, nor Trump’s separate 10% tariffs imposed on aluminum imports in 2018 had solved the underlying problem.
The funds will be used to cover interests on bank loans taken out for the one-year stockpiling drive, which will include copper, aluminium, lead, zinc, tin, among others.
The industry is in "an extremely worrying situation" after 24 days of lockdown, Philippe Darmayan, president of the union of metals industry and businesses, said.
