Global exports of aluminium plates, sheets and strips between 2023 and 2025 have formed a chain that goes beyond routine market cycles. The export trend depicts the reshaping of the market by policy decisions, geopolitical tensions and evolving supply chains. Latest trade data accumulated from the International Trade Administration throws light on how these factors directly influence export performance across major producing nations.
With the global consumption of aluminium plates, sheets and strips standing at 26.92 million tonnes in 2025, the total quantity traded by the top 10 exporters stood around 23.09 million tonnes, reflecting their dominance in the global Flat Rolled Products (FRP) market, controlling about 85.77 per cent of the market.
China: Policy reset eases the export trend
China’s export trend shows the impact of policy shifts. Shipments jumped from 2.77 million tonnes in 2023 to 3.43 million tonnes in 2024, marking a 23.5 per cent increase, largely because exporters rushed volumes ahead of the withdrawal of tax rebates on aluminium semis.
By 2025, exports had eased to 3.07 million tonnes, down 10.3 per cent. This pullback was caused by the removal of rebates that pushed up export costs, while stronger domestic demand absorbed a larger share of production.
Germany: Strong growth despite operational obstacles
Germany’s export numbers have remained remarkably stable. The operating environment became more challenging, rising from the crisis of cheap Russian gas and two consecutive years of economic recession post the onset of the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Nonetheless, the country shipped 1.32 million tonnes in 2023, 1.31 million tonnes in 2024, indicating a 0.5 per cent decline and 1.33 million tonnes in 2025, i.e., up 1.3 per cent.
High energy costs across Europe have weighed on primary production, while increasing scrap exports have tightened raw material availability within the region. Despite that, focus on recycling and on high-value products for the automotive sector, and adapting to a volatile, lower-volume, but more profitable market structure, retained Germany’s position in the market.
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South Korea: Quietly gaining from shifting supply chains
South Korea’s steady growth, rising 16.7 per cent from 634,273 tonnes in 2023 to 739,937 tonnes in 2024 and another 7.5 per cent to 795,476 tonnes in 2025, highlights the repositioning of the country at a place of advantage with supply chain shifts.
As Chinese exporters recalibrated, Canada reduced exports to the US, owing to the 50 per cent tariff imposition, South Korea found an export opening. With steady growth in export volumes, it emerged as the top exporter to the US in 2025, particularly fuelled by the front-load export rush in early 2025 to avoid the tariff hit. Its well-integrated manufacturing base and strong regional trade links helped it capture demand and strengthen its role as a processing and re-export hub.
United States: Domestic priorities take centre stage
The United States recorded the sharpest decline among major exporters. Volumes fell 2.5 per cent from 563,706 tonnes in 2023 to 549,556 tonnes in 2024, and then recorded a staggering drop to 405,598 tonnes in 2025, reflecting a 26.2 per cent decrease.
This trend indicates tighter trade policies combined with stronger domestic consumption, leaving less material available for export. Efforts to retain aluminium scrap within the country have also played a role, gradually shifting the US away from export markets.
France: Demand slowdown starts to show
France saw a modest increase in shipments in 2024, rising to 491,970 tonnes from 467,697 tonnes in 2023, reflecting a 5.2 per cent rise. However, this momentum did not hold, with exports falling 9.6 per cent to 444,713 tonnes in 2025.
The decline reflects softer industrial demand across Europe, along with persistent cost pressures due to the energy crisis that have affected both production and competitiveness.
Moreover, the European Union’s (EU) 16th sanctions package, banning primary aluminium imports from Russia, reduced the primary sourcing from Russia to 321 tonnes, falling sharply by 99 per cent, from the volume of 41,659 tonnes sourced in 2024. This difference, too, contributed to the shortfall, despite source rerouting.
Italy: Growth cools after a strong year
Italy’s exports rose sharply in 2024 to 336,442 tonnes from 293,469 tonnes in 2023, rising by 14.6 per cent, supported by improved manufacturing activity.
In 2025, volumes slumped slightly by 1.6 per cent, settling at 331,170 tonnes, suggesting that the earlier growth phase has faced broader European challenges, including high energy costs and softer demand.
Greece: A steady upward climb
Greece has been on a consistent growth path, with exports increasing 11.4 per cent, from 275,123 tonnes in 2023 to 306,390 tonnes in 2024 and further up 9.7 per cent to 336,056 tonnes in 2025.
This steady rise points to a demand rebound in Europe and expanding production capacity and a favourable position within regional supply chains, allowing the country to grow even as other European markets faced growth volatility.
Turkey: Strengthening its role as a regional supplier
Turkey has maintained a robust growth trajectory, with exports rising from 260,615 tonnes in 2023 to 301,245 tonnes in 2024, gaining 15.6 per cent, and reaching 309,873 tonnes in 2025, reflecting another gain of 2.9 per cent.
Stronger demand from Europe, especially as regional production faced constraints, has supported this growth. Turkey’s geographic advantage, acting as a bridge between Europe and the Middle East, has also worked in its favour. Ongoing geopolitical disruptions have further reinforced its position as a dependable alternative supplier.
Switzerland: Sharp drop followed by a rebound
Switzerland’s export performance has been more volatile. Volumes fell sharply from 290,084 tonnes in 2023 to 185,267 tonnes in 2024, decreasing by 36.1 per cent, before recovering to 253,169 tonnes in 2025, which marks a Y-o-Y increase of 36.6 per cent, thereby marginally making up for the export decline in 2024.
2023 onwards, the average business electricity rate in Switzerland was approximately USD 0.285 per kWh, marking about 159 per cent surge from the rate of USD 0.110 per kWh in 2021.
The rebound suggests that the earlier decline in 2024 was due to an adjustment to the price surge and operational realignment, as well as a weaker European demand coupled with “the strong franc,” as noted by the Swissmechanic Director Juerg Marti.
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Austria: Growth interrupted
Austria’s exports increased from 205,881 tonnes in 2023 to 229,335 tonnes in 2024, marking an 11.4 per cent growth, but slipped back to 212,359 tonnes in 2025, down 7.4 per cent.
Apart from high operating costs, tighter raw material availability due to the EU’s 16th sanctions package, banning primary aluminium import from Russia, which dropped 79 per cent from 15,429 tonnes sourced in 2024 to 3,251 tonnes in 2025, and a shift towards recycling contributed to the dip in production, leading to reduced exports.
Additionally, as observed by Dr Helmut Kaufmann, Chief Executive Officer of AMAG, US tariffs posed a major challenge to the export sector. “Capacity utilisation has been maintained at a stable level so far, but earnings losses due to higher personnel and energy costs as well as US tariffs cannot be offset in the short term,” he stated.
A market undergoing structural change
Taken together, these trends indicate that the aluminium semis trade is clearly undergoing a structural shift. China is moderating volumes following policy changes, but remains dominant. Europe is feeling the strain of high costs and raw material constraints. Asia is gaining momentum as supply chains realign, and the US is focusing on building domestic capacities to reduce import dependence.
Hence, the global aluminium trade map is not only adjusting but is being steadily redrawn for the long term.
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