Against the tariff odds, India’s aluminium exports to the US continue winning streak

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Have the speculations of India’s staggering loss worth USD 4.56 billion from metal exports to the US post-tariffs come true? Statistics strongly disagree. In the January-March quarter (Q1) of 2026, India’s export value of primary aluminium to the United States surged by 43.64 per cent year-on-year to USD 154.66 million from USD 107.67 million. Is this upward streak likely to continue? Outlook strongly agrees.

A striking improvement can be noticed in the cumulative export value of India’s primary aluminium shipments to the US, which climbed to USD 387 million in 2025 from USD 173.22 million recorded in 2024, marking a 123.6 per cent hike.

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Has the upward trend of 2025 been reflected in 2026?  

As the US imports of primary aluminium from India surged by 17.2 per cent Y-o-Y to 146,000 tonnes (approx.) in 2025 from 124,600 tonnes (approx.) in 2024, Q1 2026 saw the upward streak in stronger terms.

Looking closely, the quarterly figures of India’s exports to the US have steadily surged since 2024:

Q1 2026: 51,794.11 tonnes, up 34.66 per cent from Q1 2025

Q1 2025: 38,461.98 tonnes, up 138.83 per cent from Q1 2024

Q1 2024: 16,104.11 tonnes, up 41.73 per cent from 11,362.81 tonnes in Q1 2023

Interestingly, the spike has been starker in the value segment.

Q1 2026: USD 154.66 million, up 43.64 per cent from Q1 2025