Top 5 aluminium plates, sheets and bars exporters to the US in 2019

According to the US Geological Survey data, the United States' total imports of aluminium plates, sheets and bars dropped year-on-year in 2019. Compared to 1.41 million tonnes in 2018, the import volume in 2019 came in at 1.34 million tonnes, which represents a down of 5 per cent. The top five exporters in the year last were Canada, China, Germany, Oman, and Indonesia.

Canada topped the list of aluminium plates, sheets and bars exporters to the US 2019, with the total volume supplied 182,000 tonnes. In 2018, Canada had exported 230,000 tonnes of aluminium flat-rolled products, meaning the US in 2019 imported 21 per cent lesser volume of products from Canada. In the first half of 2019, the United States had imported 92,800 tonnes of aluminium plates, sheets and bars from Canada, while the remaining 89,200 tonnes were hauled in the second half of the year. This shows the country’s imports from Canada stood 4 per cent lower in the second half of 2019 than in the first half.

China was the second highest supplier of aluminium plates, sheets and bars to the US in 2019, with the total export amount 115,000 tonnes, down 55 per cent from 254,000 tonnes in 2018. In the first half of 2019, the United States’ imports from China were 78,700 tonnes and in the second half 36,300 tonnes. This indicates that the United States aluminium plates, sheets and bars imports from China were 117 per cent higher in the first half than in the second half of the year.

Germany, being the third highest exporter of aluminium flat rolled products to the US in 2019, provided 97,000 tonnes, 47 per cent lesser than Canada and 16 per cent from China. In 2018, Germany had exported 53,000 tonnes, meaning the export volume grew by 83 per cent in the succeeding year. In the first half of 2019, Germany exported 52,900 tonnes, which in the second half decreased by 17 per cent and came in at 44,100 tonnes.

Oman in 2019 exported 80,100 tonnes of aluminium plates, sheets and bars to the US, up 21 per cent from 66,100 tonnes year-on-year. But Indonesia’s exports to the US dropped 30 per cent over the year from 97,900 tonnes to 67,600 tonnes in 2019.

The top five countries together exported 541,700 tonnes of aluminium plates, sheets and bars to the United States in 2019, according to the USGS data.