The Aluminium Federation (ALFED) is pleased to formally announce the appointment of Christophe Tersou (Novelis) as Chair of the ALFED Trade Committee and Dan Morear (Hydro) as Vice Chair.
The appointments come at a critical time for the UK aluminium sector, as businesses navigate an increasingly complex trade and policy landscape shaped by carbon border adjustment mechanisms (CBAM), international trade agreements, industrial competitiveness challenges, circular economy policy development and evolving global supply chains.
As the strategic importance of trade and industrial policy continues to grow, the ALFED Trade Committee has become an increasingly influential forum for bringing together industry expertise, market intelligence and evidence-based policy development on behalf of the UK aluminium sector.
Strengthening Industry Representation
Operating across the aluminium value chain, the Trade Committee provides a dedicated platform for members to monitor, discuss and respond to developments affecting UK manufacturing competitiveness, international trade, market access and regulatory compliance.
The Committee plays a central role in shaping ALFED’s policy positions and consultation responses, ensuring that real operational and commercial insight from industry is reflected in engagement with Government, regulators and policymakers.
Recent work has included direct engagement with HM Treasury, HMRC, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) and other key stakeholders on issues including:
- The implementation of the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM);
- UK-EU trade relations and industrial cooperation;
- Trade remedies and anti-dumping measures;
- Industrial competitiveness and energy costs;
- Strategic supply chain resilience;
- Aluminium scrap flows and circular economy policy;
- The Government’s Metals Circularity Group; and
- Emerging geopolitical and market developments affecting global aluminium trade.
The Committee also provides a rapid response mechanism for members when urgent consultations, trade developments or market disruptions arise, ensuring the industry can present a coordinated and evidence-led voice where required.
Leadership for a Changing Trade Environment
Christophe Tersou brings extensive international experience in trade, compliance and regulatory affairs through his role as Director of Global Trade & Export Controls at Novelis.
As a seasoned global trade compliance executive with more than two decades of professional experience both in industry and consulting roles, Chris is currently serving as Director Global Trade and Export Controls at Novelis where he oversees global trade governance, customs compliance risks management, and operational strategies across multijurisdictional operations.
In his role as chair of ALFED Trade Committee, Chris brings exceptional global experience, strategic insights, and a strong track record of partnering with industry members to advance trade advocacy. The aluminium industry stands at a pivotal moment, navigating the convergence of evolving global trade dynamics, carbon policy measures, expensive energy costs, and market realignment, while simultaneously addressing critical business imperatives around circularity and secure access to raw materials. ALFED Trade Committee is focused on three strategic themes:
- CBAM and carbon cost alignment (linkage of UK ETS with the EU ETS)
- Advocating for a UK trade framework, including tariff and trade remedies that is agile and supportive to our industry
- Ensure availability of secondary aluminium materials in the UK.
Dan Morear, Finance Director Europe for Hydro’s Recycling business, has been appointed Vice Chair following strong support from Committee members.
Dan has worked in the UK aluminium industry for over 20 years, all of which has been within the Hydro Aluminium Group and currently in the role of Finance Director Europe for the extrusion ingot recycling portfolio. Working for a global organisation that operates throughout the value chain, including mining, smelting, sorting, recycling, extrusion and building systems has provided a broad and invaluable platform to build up a wealth of experience and knowledge of the industry. With specific reference to the work of the ALFED Trade Committee this includes leading the Brexit preparations and as a member of the Group’s CBAM taskforce.
Speaking on ALFED and the work of the Trade Committee, Dan commented:
“What is ALFED? Put simply it is a trade organisation for the UK aluminium industry. Trade being the key word that connects all its members. The work of the Trade committee transcends the whole of the UK aluminium industry from producers and recyclers through to the finishers and retailers and the many support services in between. Recently the committee set out its 3 strategic priorities to support its members:
- CBAM and carbon cost alignment
- The UK trade framework, duties and market access
- Secondary material and supply chain resilience
The committee also highlight that a fragmented voice will fall on deaf ears, and it is imperative that collectively ALFED speaks with one consistent voice across all aspects of our advocacy for the industry – to ensure our voice is heard, understood and relevant to policymakers. I would encourage all other interest groups within ALFED to connect with the Trade Committee to support our common interests.”
As part of ALFED’s wider governance structure, the Trade Committee now also benefits from direct representation at Board level, reflecting the increasing importance of trade and industrial policy within the Federation’s strategic priorities. This new arrangement will help ensure that Trade Committee discussions and recommendations remain closely aligned with ALFED’s wider advocacy and policy activities.
Supporting ALFED’s Strategic Priorities
The Committee’s work is closely aligned with ALFED’s recently launched Strategic Priorities Framework, which identified trade, competitiveness, circularity and industrial growth as key areas requiring coordinated industry leadership.
Current priorities include:
- Ensuring effective implementation of UK CBAM and securing greater clarity ahead of the January 2027 commencement date;
- Supporting Government engagement through the Metals Circularity Group and wider circular economy discussions;
- Monitoring global aluminium trade flows, market distortions and trade remedy developments;
- Strengthening UK-EU industrial cooperation and market access opportunities;
- Addressing industrial competitiveness challenges, including energy costs and regulatory burdens; and
- Supporting evidence-based policy development that enables investment, growth and long-term resilience across the UK aluminium value chain.
Driving Evidence-Led Advocacy
The Trade Committee forms part of ALFED’s wider structure of Sector Groups and Committees, providing members with a direct route to influence national policy development and industry representation. Together with ALFED’s Recycling, Extrusion, Distribution and Finishing Sector Groups, the Committee helps ensure that operational realities are translated into practical policy recommendations and credible engagement with Government.
As Government continues to develop policy in areas such as trade, carbon regulation, industrial strategy and resource security, ALFED remains committed to ensuring that the voice of the aluminium industry is represented clearly, constructively and with the evidence needed to support effective decision-making.
The Federation would like to thank both Christophe and Dan for their continued commitment to the industry and looks forward to working with them as the Trade Committee continues to strengthen its role at the centre of UK aluminium policy and advocacy.
