Jesse Gary on technological advancement
From The 85% Problem: Why America Can't Defend What It Can't Produce | Century Aluminum, Commerce Dept. · · SAFE
“The new smelter in Oklahoma will be a cutting edge smelter. The rest of our smelter fleet today is 50 years old. This new smelter will be brand new, the largest single pot line to be built in the world. It will be almost 20% more efficient than the existing smelter base.”
On , Jesse Gary, President, Chief Executive Officer & Director at CENTURY ALUMINUM CO, spoke about technological advancement during The 85% Problem: Why America Can't Defend What It Can't Produce | Century Aluminum, Commerce Dept. on SAFE.
About Jesse Gary
Jesse Gary, President and CEO of Century Aluminum, spoke at the SAFE Summit on April 28, 2026, about the U.S. reliance on imported aluminum. He stated that the U.S. imports roughly 85% of its aluminum, which he described as a vulnerability for national security given the metal's use in military equipment. Gary credited the Section 232 tariff program implemented under President Trump in 2018 for enabling domestic investment, saying it "allowed us to build a wall to offset that subsidization that was going on in China." He also announced plans to build the first new aluminum smelter in the U.S. in 50 years, which he said would double U.S. production and represent billions of dollars in investment. Gary highlighted challenges to the project, including permitting delays, which he said slow construction even when the company is ready to break ground. He emphasized the need for reliable, competitively priced electricity, calling it a "raw material" for aluminum production essential to national security. Gary praised the current administration's approach as a "partnership," contrasting it with previous skepticism, and noted that the new smelter in Tulsa would create a thousand permanent jobs with an average wage and benefit package of $125,000 per year. He also stated that 20% of U.S. aluminum imports come from the Middle East, adding that "it's not coming in today" and that domestic production is necessary.