Critical situation of German Aluminum

The situation in the German aluminum industry remains critical. Aluminium Deutschland (AD) reported that during the third quarter of 2024 the companies’ production volumes fell again. In particular, the production of aluminum semi-finished products experienced its tenth consecutive quarter of decline.

AD President Rob van Gils commented that: “After the federal elections, a new government must start its work as quickly as possible. Germany’s competitiveness as an industrial location has suffered. Energy costs, and above all network tariffs, in addition to increasing bureaucracy, are endangering Germany as an industrial nation. The new European Commission must also urgently recognize the risks in trade policy.Time is running out!”

A recent survey of AD member companies highlights that 29% of companies have been forced to cut jobs. At the same time, almost 60% of companies had to create new jobs last year to comply with increased reporting requirements.

Production in the German aluminum industry also declined in most areas during the third quarter. Aluminum recyclers recorded a significant drop, producing almost 683,000 tons of recycled aluminum (-6%) in the July-September period. For the first nine months, production levels are 3% below the previous year (around 2.1 million tons).

Producers of aluminum semi-finished products almost matched the previous year’s level (-1%) in the third quarter, with more than 592,000 tons. In the first three quarters, they produced around 1.8 million tons of semi-finished products (-3%). Within this group, manufacturers of rolled products recorded a relatively moderate decline (-2%), with 1.4 million tons. On the other hand, the production of extruded aluminum products fell more sharply (-6%, reaching 366,000 tons).