1914-2025: More than 100 years of America’s journey from primary smelting to modern circularity – and this is how tariff fits in

The United States shares a deep, long, and almost personal bond with aluminium as the metal has played a pivotal role in shaping up the nation’s manufacturing base while contributing about USD 228.31 billion to the economy. But at the same time, the industry in the US has weather many highs and lows. The country was once responsible for contributing more than 50 per cent to the world's primary aluminium supply and now it accounts for less than 1 per cent. But has this shift hurt the nation's backbone in the aluminium industry, has it carved out new pathways to sustain its legacy in the sector? Here’s a look at the century-long evolution of America’s aluminium landscape and what's reshaping it.

The journey of aluminium industry in the United States back to World War I (1914-1918) when production was 52,210 tonnes, accounting for more than half of world’s supply. By World War II (1939-1945), the production further grew to 835,000 tonnes. This momentum carried well into the late 20th century, culminating in a peak of 4.65 million tonnes in 1980.

Cut to the late 1990s, aluminium production trend in the US reversed and began to decline, coming in at 3.7 million tonnes between 1998 and 2000. As a consequence, its global share fell to 16 per cent. As the downward trend persisted into the 21^st century, the production plummeted to 670,000 tonnes in 2024, representing a mere 0.9 per cent of global output.