Canada’s aluminium plates, sheets and strip imports fall 8.9% in H1 2026 as China shipments rise 52.4%

Canada imported 195,000 tonnes of aluminium plates, sheets and strip in the first half of 2026, down from 214,000 tonnes during the same period of 2025. Total imports were therefore lower by 8.9 per cent year-on-year, although the second quarter saw a stronger volume of shipments than the first.

Imports stood at 82,000 tonnes in Q1 2026 and rose to 113,000 tonnes in Q2, an increase of 37.8 per cent quarter-on-quarter. Canada had imported 98,000 tonnes in the first quarter and 116,000 tonnes in the second quarter in the same period last year.

China is the largest supplier among the countries listed. Exports to Canada reached 64,000 tonnes in H1 2026, compared with 42,000 tonnes in H1 2025. This was an increase of 52.4 per cent. The quarterly data also shows that growth accelerated sharply in the second quarter. 

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Chinese shipments rose from 21,000 tonnes in Q1 to 43,000 tonnes in Q2 2026, meaning Q2 exports were more than double the Q1 volume. Compared with 2025, exports increased from 13,000 tonnes to 21,000 tonnes in Q1 (up 61 per cent) and from 29,000 tonnes to 43,000 tonnes in Q2, with the stronger increase coming in Q2 at around 48 per cent. 

The US supplied a total of 59,000 tonnes during the first six months of 2026, compared with 124,000 tonnes in H1 2025, down 52.4 per cent. US shipments stood at 25,000 tonnes in Q1 2026 and 34,000 tonnes in Q2.

US aluminium exports to Canada dropped sharply in Q1 2026, falling from 68,000 tonnes a year earlier to 25,000 tonnes, a decline of around 63 per cent. Shipments then recovered by 36 per cent to 34,000 tonnes in Q2 2026, but were still 39 per cent lower than the 56,000 tonnes exported in Q2 2025. Overall, the figures point to a recovery in the second quarter, although US shipments remained well below last year's levels.  

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Saudi Arabia ranked third, exporting 12,500 tonnes in H1 2026, up from 9,800 tonnes in the same period last year (27.5 per cent increase). Meanwhile, Bahrain supplied 10,600 tonnes, up sharply from 5,700 tonnes in H1 2025, marking an 86 per cent rise.  

The Republic of Korea's shipments increased from 11,300 tonnes (H1 2025) to 14,000 tonnes (H1 2026), marking a 23 per cent rise. Belgium supplied 5,000 tonnes, up sharply from around 1,300 tonnes in H1 2025, while Türkiye's exports nearly tripled, climbing from 1,600 tonnes (2025) to 4,800 tonnes (2026).

Germany supplied 6,400 tonnes in H1 2026, compared with 5,000 tonnes in the same period of 2025. Oman's shipments rose from 131 tonnes to 3,000 tonnes, while Spain supplied 3,100 tonnes in H1 2026, compared with around 2,200 tonnes a year earlier.

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China and the US together accounted for 123,000 tonnes of Canada's 195,000 tonnes of aluminium plates, sheets and strip imports in H1 2026, or about 63 per cent of the total. China recorded higher shipments during the period, while imports from the US and several other suppliers showed a mixed picture.

This reflects a broader shift in Canada's aluminium trade in 2026. While US aluminium shipments to Canada have declined, supplies from the European Union have increased. Despite the decline, however, the US continues to remain Canada's largest aluminium supplier by a wide margin.