Aluminum demand increases in North America

On Wednesday, the Aluminum Association released preliminary estimates that North American industrial aluminum orders would grow 6.6% by July 2022.

Two years ago, member companies of the Aluminum Association began investing at least $3.7 billion in domestic production in the United States to compensate for diminished exports. They have since continued with that method and this adds to the widespread demand by the auto, automotive and metallurgy sectors which announced additional investments of $4 billion between July and August 2018.

In recent times, the U.S. aluminum industry has been praised for its investment levels. “America is one of the best places in the world to manufacture aluminum and our industry is putting its money where its mouth is to ensure a strong and vibrant domestic industry for years to come.” said Charles Johnson, president and CEO of the Aluminum Association.

Conclusions:

• Aluminum demand in the United States and Canada totaled an estimated 14.1 billion pounds in June 2021, an advance of 6.6% over the same period in 2021.

• In the first half of the year, the main categories of semi-finished products – or “rolling mills” – experienced high demand for these products. The most popular category was sheet and plate, followed by electrical wires and cables.

• Aluminum exports (including scrap) to foreign countries decreased 18% from the previous year’s level.

• North American imports of aluminum and aluminum products fluctuated 35.7% throughout the second quarter, reaching 4.7 billion pounds, but unlike the same period as recently as 2019, imports were lower.

We have been seeing below how growth in the container and packaging segment has helped drive some of the increase in overall aluminum demand, as shipments by Mexican producers are up 13% year-to-date through June 2022. The market has been increasingly looking for solutions to package its beverages responsibly with sustainable carbon subtracted from aluminum cans or recycled aluminum.

The Aluminum Status Report is a statistical document developed by the Aluminum Association to provide data for the aluminum industries, its producers, fabricators and recyclers. Subscribers have access to an online portal with the ability to transform data according to their needs and present it for their use.