The North American net new aluminum mill order index for August jumped 11.7% from July, but remained flat year on year, the Aluminum Association said in an index released Monday.
The index from January through August rose 1.6% from the same period a year ago, the trade group added.
The biggest increase over 2016 was seen in orders of heat treatable sheet, which surged 36.8% from last August and rose 2.3% from July. From January through August, aluminum heat treatable sheet orders jumped 26.4%, the group said.
August orders of non-heat-treatable sheet rose 1% compared with the year-ago period, and 12.6% from July.
Orders of extruded products rose 10.2% year on year and 24.3% month on month.
Domestic can stock orders fell 6.7% year on year in August, but were 3.3% above July. Export can stock orders increased 1.7% year on year and 12.8% from July.
The index for plate orders rose 5% from August 2016, but fell 5.4% from July.
Aluminum foil orders were down 8.2% compared with a year ago, but up 1.8% from July.
Drawing stock orders dropped 4.4% in August compared with August 2016, but ticked up 0.3% from July.
The index is based on reports of new orders, minus cancellations, received by 23 participants for the period, representing about 80%-85% of total industry shipments in the US and Canada. Data in the report are neither seasonally adjusted nor adjusted to account for work days.
