A resilient aluminium demand in North America: Scrap and FRP drive momentum after sluggish H1’25

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The North American aluminium market has witnessed sharp shifts in trade dynamics, the trend shifting with policy changes and geopolitical developments. In 2025, North America’s aluminium market showed signs of recovery, with demand ending the year on a stable note despite economic and trade-related headwinds. According to the latest Aluminium Situation report by the Aluminium Association, the region recorded a modest 0.8 per cent increase in aluminium demand, backed by stronger manufacturing activity in the second half of the year after a weak start.

Charles Johnson, President and CEO of the Aluminum Association, noted, “North American aluminium demand showed resilience in 2025, finishing the year essentially flat despite ongoing economic and trade uncertainty.”

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Demand and trade snapshot 2025: From the globe to North America 

As the demand for aluminium extruded products declined 3.1 per cent in 2025, it reflected respectively on the trade between North America and the world. Combining the 2025 import volumes of extruded products including plates, sheets and strips by the US and Canada, i.e., 1,185,629.14 tonnes and 532,206.72 tonnes, respectively, the cumulative of 17,17,835.86 tonnes depicts a Y-o-Y decline of 7.94 per cent from the total of 18,66,096.32 tonnes sourced in 2024.  

Contrary to the extrusions sector, the demand for aluminium foil and wire saw a rise in both nations. The total import volume of wire by the US (305,315.45 tonnes) and Canada (5,581.11 tonnes) settled at 310,896.56 tonnes, marking a 4.1 per cent Y-o-Y surge from the cumulative 2,98,673.52 tonnes sourced in 2024.

Foil imports soared significantly, as the US and Canada imports in 2025 of 300,338.01 tonnes and 68,407.37 tonnes respectively totalled 368,745.38 tonnes, which recorded a Y-o-Y hike of 7.2 per cent over the 2024 import volume of 343,974.64 tonnes.