The Aluminum Association, Arlington, Virginia, says preliminary estimates show demand grew 6.6% for the aluminum industry in the United States and Canada in the first half of 2022, following growth estimated nearly 8% year-over-year in 2021 and rising demand levels estimated in the first quarter.
Since 2021, the Aluminum Association says its member companies, including Hydro, Novelis and Rio Tinto, have announced more than $3.7 billion in investments in domestic manufacturing operations, including new greenfield facilities in the states. United for the first time in decades. Other companies, such as Mana Capital Partners and Ball and Steel Dynamics Inc., have announced additional aluminum investments in the United States in recent months totaling more than $4 billion.
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“We are seeing strong demand and truly unprecedented levels of investment in the aluminum industry in the United States today,” said Charles Johnson, President and CEO of the Aluminum Association. “America is one of the best places in the world to manufacture aluminum, and our industry is putting its money in its mouth to ensure a strong and vibrant national industry for years to come.”
The Aluminum Association highlights a number of key takeaways from its monthly “State of Aluminum” report:
- Demand for aluminum in the United States and Canada (shipments from domestic producers plus imports) totaled about 14.1 billion pounds through June, up 6.6% from the same time in 2021.
- Nearly all major categories of semi-fabricated or engineered products saw increased demand growth year-over-year in the first half of 2022, led by sheet and plate products (12.5% ) and electrical wires and cables (9.2%). In total, demand for factory products was up 9.1% year-over-year through June 2022.
- Aluminum exports (excluding scrap metal) to foreign countries were down 18% from their level a year ago.
- Imports of aluminum and aluminum products into North America (US and Canada) increased 35.7% year-to-date through the second quarter, reaching 4.7 billion pounds. Although increasing, year-to-date import levels remain below the level of imports seen during the same period as recently as 2019.
According to the association’s quarterly sheet and plate end-use report, growth in the container and packaging segment helped drive some of the increase in overall aluminum demand. Domestic producer shipments in this segment increased 13.1% year-to-date through June 2022.
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