Century Aluminum Company has endorsed an executive order signed by President Donald Trump designed to incentivize domestic manufacturing. The order, signed on July 20, 2026, allows companies investing in new primary aluminum production in the United States to import a commensurate amount of primary aluminum at a reduced tariff rate. The new tariff rate for qualifying companies is set at 25%, a reduction from the previous 50%. This policy shift is expected to lower costs for firms expanding domestic production capabilities.

Century Aluminum and Emirates Global Aluminum (EGA) announced plans in February to jointly construct a new aluminum smelter in Inola, Oklahoma. The project, named Oklahoma Primary Aluminum, is described as the largest single investment ever in U.S. primary aluminum production. It has the potential to more than double the nation's current output. CEO Jesse Gary stated that the President's support strengthens the company's commitment to supplying critical metal to industries such as defense and aerospace.

The new smelter is expected to have a production capacity of 750,000 tonnes of primary aluminum. The project is anticipated to create over 1,000 direct jobs and 4,000 construction jobs. In addition to the Oklahoma facility, Century Aluminum is expanding capacity at its Mt. Holly plant. This expansion will increase total U.S. primary aluminum production by 10% and add 150 jobs in South Carolina.

Project Details

The following table outlines the key metrics associated with Century Aluminum's expansion projects:

Century Aluminum owns and operates primary aluminum smelting facilities in the United States and Iceland. It is also the majority owner and managing partner of the Jamalco alumina refinery in Jamaica. The company is headquartered in Chicago, IL.

Inola, Oklahoma — a $4 billion primary aluminum smelter project backed by President Donald Trump and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has hit a significant roadblock. The Inola Board of Trustees unanimously approved a 60-day moratorium on zoning approvals following fierce local resistance from residents, ranchers, and Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond. The project, a joint venture between Emirates Global Aluminum (60%) and Century Aluminum Company (40%), aims to build the first new domestic primary aluminum smelter since 1980.

National Security and Ownership Concerns

Trump has framed the smelter as critical to national security, citing the U.S. reliance on imports for more than half of its aluminum. The Energy Department pledged a $500 million federal grant, while Oklahoma offered major incentives. However, the ownership structure has drawn scrutiny. Emirates Global Aluminum is tied to the sovereign wealth funds of the United Arab Emirates, raising sovereignty concerns among local leaders. "A primary aluminum smelter does not belong in a community’s backyard, and its emissions do not respect property lines," Drummond wrote in a lawsuit seeking to block construction.

Environmental and Economic Stakes

Local opposition centers on fears that hydrogen fluoride emissions could harm livestock, crops, and water in the "Hay Capital of the World." While Assistant U.S. Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson defended the project as using closed-loop technology that captures emissions, residents remained skeptical. "We’re not seeing that in the air permit application," local resident Christine Roam said. The corporate response included warnings from Oklahoma Primary Aluminum, an Emirates' subsidiary, that delays could trigger litigation to recover "tens of millions of dollars already invested."

Project Status and Market Context

The moratorium allows time to review environmental data before a decision on the largest economic development project in state history. Century Aluminum stock had rallied as high as 76% through early June but faced recent headwinds, including insider selling and a fifth consecutive earnings miss. The following table outlines the key project details: