U.S. International Trade Commission launches aluminum trade probe

April 6 (Reuters) - The U.S (Other OTC: UBGXF - news) . International Trade Commission said on Wednesday it had launched an investigation into the U.S. aluminum industry and the global trade in the metal.

The investigation is the first formal move by U.S. regulators to probe the impact on domestic smelters of lower-cost imports following a prolonged campaign by Century (Shenzhen: 300078.SZ - news) Aluminum Co, which is majority-owned by Glencore PLC (Xetra: A1JAGV - news) .

The commission said it "will report on factors of competition in major unwrought and wrought (semi-fabricated) aluminum producing and exporting countries, including the United States."

"The USITC will examine industry characteristics, recent trade trends and developments, competitive strengths and weakness, factors driving unwrought-production capacity increases, and government policies that affect aluminum production and exports in these countries," the commission said, adding that it expected to deliver a report by June 24, 2017. (Reporting by Washington Newsroom; Editing by Eric Walsh)