APAA is pleased that Magnitude 7 Metals has restarted its aluminium smelter in Missouri.

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The American Primary Aluminium Association (APAA) has welcomed the decision by Magnitude 7 Metals to reopen its primary aluminium smelter in Marston, Missouri, calling the move a significant positive development for domestic aluminium production and US manufacturing.

The company is targeting to bring an extra 75,000 tonnes of annual primary aluminium production onstream by the end of 2026, reactivating potline one at the plant. The restart is anticipated to bring back some of the US primary aluminium capacity that has been lost in recent years.

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Responding to the announcement, David Kaplan of Otto von Blue, owner of Magnitude 7 Metals, said the decision is a sign of renewed confidence in the US manufacturing sector and will create hundreds of manufacturing jobs in Marston. He said the investment was also supported by the 50 per cent US aluminium tariff introduced under President Donald Trump.

APAA President Mark Duffy said the restart “is an important development for the local economy and the country’s industrial base.” He said the additional capacity, along with Century Aluminium’s ongoing restart at its Mt. Holly facility, is expected to increase domestic primary aluminium production by more than 20 per cent, enhancing the resilience of the US aluminium industry.

The Marston smelter in southeast Missouri has been a historically important producer of primary aluminium in the United States. The restart is another step towards increasing domestic aluminium production and reducing imported metal. 

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