South Korea registers YoY increase in trading of semi-finished aluminium with US in Q1 2019

South Korea exported 19,600 tonnes of aluminium (crude metal and alloys, aluminium semi-finished products and scrap) to the US in the first three months of 2019, from 9,130 tonnes exported in the first three months of 2018, according to the latest Mineral Industry Survey report from US Geological Survey.

Aluminium semi-finished products export rose 167.93 per cent or 7960 tonnes year-on-year in three months period. Export increased from 4,740 tonnes to 12,700 tonnes. In March, exports stood at 5,880 tonnes, an increase of 154.55 per cent year-on-year and 78.18 per cent month-on-month.

On the import side, South Korea's imports of total aluminium from the US stood at 77,600 tonnes in the first three months of 2019, 33.56 per cent higher than the corresponding period of 2018. In January-March 2018, exports were 58,100 tonnes.

Aluminium semi-finished imports from the US came in at 8,770 tonnes in the first three months of 2019. That was up 6.82 per cent compared with the same period of 2018. South Korea had imported 8,210 tonnes in January-March 2018.

In March, aluminium semi-finished imports from the US stood at 3,060 tonnes, an increase of 7.75 per cent from 2,840 tonnes in the same period last year. Imports increased by 8.51 per cent from February’s import volume of 2,820 tonnes.