Recovery of aluminium from scrap in the U.S. up in January 2018

According to aluminium recycling statistics published by the U.S. Geological Survey, Department of Interior; the U.S. aluminium industry purchased an estimated 318,875 tonnes of aluminium scrap during January 2018, up from the December 2017 total of 315,280 tonnes while down 2.8 per cent from the January 2017 total.

Total aluminium and aluminium alloys recovered from scrap in January 2018 was 292,000 tonnes, 4% more than the revised amount in December 2017, slightly less than the revised amount in January 2017, but unchanged from the amount in January 2016. Of this, 168,000 tonne of aluminium was recovered from new scrap and 125,000 tonne was recovered from old scrap.

In total for 2017, preliminary data indicate that recovery of aluminium from scrap totalled an estimated 3.6 million tonnes, up 1 per cent over the 2016 total of 3.5 million pounds. U.S. exports of scrap, not included in the government’s consumption statistics, totalled 1.6 million tonnes in 2017, up 18.3 per cent over 2016.

Domestic primary aluminium production in January 2018 was 66,000 tonnes. The average daily production in January was 2,130 tonnes, 4% more than that in December 2017, 6% more than that in January 2017, but 28% less than that in January 2016.