Aluminum demand in the US and Canada (shipments by domestic producers plus imports) totaled an estimated 25.74 billion lb in 2015, up less than 1% from the same period last year, preliminary statistics from the Aluminum Association showed Tuesday.
Demand for semi-fabricated (mill) products totaled 18.303 billion lb, up 3.7%. Apparent consumption (demand less exports) in domestic markets totaled an estimated 22.814 billion lb, increasing 3.8% from 2014.
Exports of aluminum ingot and mill products from the US and Canada (excluding cross-border trade) totaled 2.926 billion lb in 2015, down 18% from last year, while imports were up 9.8% from 2014 to 5.565 billion lb.
Demand for aluminum semi-fabricated (mill) products in the US and Canada (measured in shipments by domestic producers plus imports) totaled an estimated 1.343 billion lb in December, decreasing 2.2% from the December 2014 total of 1.373 billion lb.
Aluminum sheet and plate totaled 779 million lb in December, down 3.7%. Extruded products were up 5.5% year on year to 380 million lb. Estimated shipments of aluminum ingot for castings, exports and other uses totaled 604 million lb, up 1.4% from a year ago.
Apparent consumption in domestic US and Canadian markets totaled 1.676 billion lb in December, down 2.2% from the December 2014 total of 1.715 billion lb.
Estimated apparent consumption in 2015 totaled 22.814 billion lb, up 3.8% from the 2014 total of 21.979 billion lb.
Producer inventories totaled 2.984 billion lb in December, up less than 1% from the November 2015 level of 2.976 billion lb. Compared with a year ago, producer inventories were up 5.4%.
The US aluminum industry purchased an estimated 744 million lb of aluminum scrap during December 2015, according to the US Geological Survey, down less than 1% from the December 2014 total of 750 million lb.
The USGS estimates that recovery of aluminum and aluminum alloys totaled 642 million lb, decreasing less than 1% year on year.
Preliminary estimates indicate that recovery of aluminum from scrap totaled an estimated 8.244 billion lb in 2015, up 2.8% from the 2014 total of 8.018 billion lb.
