Aluminium demand in North America up slightly YoY in Jan-August 2019; semis demand up 1.7%

According to the preliminary estimates from Aluminum Association, aluminium demand in the United States and Canada (shipments by domestic producers plus imports) totalled an estimated 8.6 million tonnes from January to August 2019, a slight increase over YTD 2018.

Demand for semi-fabricated (mill) products in the United States and Canada totalled 6.2 million tonnes though August 2019, up 1.7 per cent YoY. Demand for semis stood at an estimated 780,632 tonnes in August, off 1.1 per cent over August 2018. Shipments of aluminium sheet and plate stood at 446,788 tonnes in August, up 3.1 per cent YoY. Extruded product shipments declined 6.1 per cent YoY to 225,435 tonnes. Estimated shipments of aluminium ingot for castings, exports and other uses stood at 312,979 tonnes in August, down 12.9 per cent YoY.

Apparent consumption (demand less exports) in domestic U.S. and Canadian markets totalled 980,666 tonnes in August, down 1.2 per cent from August 2018. Through the first eight months of 2019, apparent consumption in domestic markets stood at an estimated 7.6 million tonnes, up 1.8 per cent YoY.

Exports of aluminium ingot and mill products from the U.S. and Canada (excluding cross-border trade) stood at 949,368 tonnes through the first eight months of 2019, off 8.7 per cent from YTD 2018, while imports increased 3.4 per cent to 2.7 million tonnes.

Producer inventories totalled 1.6 million tonnes in August, a decrease of 2.4 per cent from July 2019.  Compared to a year ago, producer inventories were up an estimated 2.9 per cent.