Climate talks ‘trouble’ for US brass ingot market

Dec 09, 2009 | 11:56 AM | Anne Riley

The consequences of the Copenhagen climate talks could be disastrous for the U.S. brass and bronze ingot industry, a sector already struggling to keep a foothold in an increasingly global marketplace, sources warned Wednesday.

Although the outcome of the summit is still unknown, the resolution will likely mandate more stringent cap-and-trade regulations for developed countries—a requirement that could give developing nations like China an unfair advantage, sources said.

"If China can continue to get away with murder again, and continue to pollute to their hearts' content, then we're in deep trouble," one domestic ingot maker said. "We're all going to be affected by being less competitive."

A second ingot maker agreed that a climate policy that doesn't distribute responsibility evenly across the globe could weigh disproportionately on manufacturing in the United States.

"The good guys will take the brunt of the cutbacks, which is your developed countries. It will be a further driver in the loss of manufacturing jobs in this country," the second ingot maker said, adding that emissions cutbacks in the United States will come at "tremendous costs."....