In an unusual change of course, the United Steelworkers Union (USW) has now withdrawn the Section 201 petition it filed just last week to request temporary relief against imports of primary unwrought aluminum. According to various sources, the USW petition faced opposition from the U.S. and Canadian aluminum industries, as well as from the Canadian government. Canada is the largest exporter of primary aluminum to the United States, and Canadian producers would have suffered if the protective tariffs requested by the USW had been imposed. Accordingly, the ITC will not be proceeding with the safeguard investigation. This is an extraordinary development because any decision to request import relief is carefully considered and involves a significant commitment of time and resources. Section 201 petitions are not typically withdrawn within days of being filed.