Trump Company Took Two Million Dollars From Base Group During Aluminum Foil Trade Fight
The disclosure process itself forces public listing of foreign fees tied to letters of intent even when the related trade enforcement remains quasi-judicial and ongoing.
The disclosure process itself forces public listing of foreign fees tied to letters of intent even when the related trade enforcement remains quasi-judicial and ongoing.
A New York Times report this week detailed a $2 million nonrefundable development fee paid by Base Group to the Trump holding company while its subsidiary contested Commerce Department aluminum-foil circumvention findings.
Why it matters: Trade-remedy cash deposits and duties on aluminum foil flow into household prices for packaging, appliances, and construction materials while foreign payments appear on the same certified form that governs conflict rules.
Date to watch: July 31, 2026 comment deadline on the preliminary results of the aluminum-foil administrative review that again lists Korea Aluminium.
Sources:
- U.S. Office of Government Ethics announcement of certified presidential financial disclosure (2026-06-30)
https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/Resources/Now+Available:+The+President%E2%80%99s+and+Vice+President%E2%80%99s+certified+annual+financial+disclosure+reports - OGE-hosted PDF of the president's certified annual financial disclosure report (2026-06-30)
https://oge.box.com/shared/static/zycb5i2ny8kssm51uzqm8ygyq2zkpkqq.pdf - Federal Register Final Affirmative Determinations of Circumvention Korea and Thailand aluminum foil (2023-11-27)
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/11/27/2023-26030/antidumping-and-countervailing-duty-orders-on-certain-aluminum-foil-from-the-peoples-republic-of - Federal Register Preliminary Affirmative Determinations of Circumvention aluminum foil (2023-03-22)
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/03/22/2023-05832/antidumping-and-countervailing-duty-orders-on-certain-aluminum-foil-from-the-peoples-republic-of - Federal Register Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review aluminum foil 2024-2025 listing Korea Aluminium (2026-07-13)
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/13/2026-14066/certain-aluminum-foil-from-the-peoples-republic-of-china-preliminary-results-of-antidumping-duty - Court of International Trade Slip Opinion sustaining Commerce circumvention findings Hanon Systems Alabama Corp. v. United States (2025-07-21)
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/cit/24-00013/24-00013-2025-07-21.html
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