Demand for U.S. aluminium semi-fabricated products increases 4.7%

Shipments of aluminium extruded products (extruded shapes, pipe & tube, and rod & bar) by U.S. and Canadian producers totalled an estimated 407.9 million pounds during November 2015, a rise of 4.4 percent over the November 2014 total of 390.9 million pounds. Compared to the previous month, shipments decreased 10.1 percent from the October 2015 total of 453.7 million pounds. Year-to-date shipments through November 2015 totalled 4,788.2 million pounds, up 5.1 percent over the 2014 year-to-date total of 4,555.1 million pounds.

Preliminary estimates indicate that aluminium demand in the United States and Canada (shipments by domestic producers plus imports) totalled an estimated 21,741 million pounds through October 2015, up 1.0 percent over the same period last year. Demand for semi-fabricated (mill) products totalled 15,533 million pounds, up 4.7 percent. Apparent consumption (demand less exports) in domestic markets totalled an estimated 19,309 million pounds, increasing 4.7 percent year-to-date.

Aluminium net shipments (including exports) by domestic U.S. and Canadian facilities totalled an estimated 1,882 million pounds during November, up 2.5 percent over the November 2014 total of 1,836 million pounds. Shipments of aluminium mill products increased 1.2 percent over the previous year to 1,222 million Pounds, while shipments of aluminium ingot for castings, exports and destructive uses increased 5.1 percent y-o-y, totalling 661 million Pounds. Preliminary year-to-date producer shipments for 2015 totalled 21,305 million pounds, down six-tenths of one percent from the 2014 total of 21,442 million pounds. November inventory levels totalled an estimated 2,868 million pounds, down 1.4 percent from the previous month and down one-tenth of one percent y-o-y.