U.S. aluminium scrap exports up 12% in January-October 2018

According to the latest Mineral Industry Survey report from US Geological Survey, the U.S. exports of aluminium scrap, which is not included in the government’s consumption statistics, stood at 164,000 tonnes in October 2018, up 5% from October 2017 total of 156,000 tonnes.

Month on month, aluminium scraps export rose16.3% from the September export volume of 141,000 tonnes. Total scrap exports stood at 1.42 million tonnes in the first ten months of 2018, up about 11.8% from 1.27 million tonnes in the same period of 2017.

The U.S. export to China in October 2018 stood at 28,100 tonnes, down 65% from October 2017 volume of 80,700 tonnes. While month on month the volume rose 9% from the September export volume of 25,700 tonnes. Total scrap exports to China stood at 423,000 tonnes during January-October.

Total aluminium recovered from scrap in October 2018 was 312,000 tonnes, slightly more than that in September 2018 and October 2017. Of this, 177,000 tonnes of aluminium was recovered from new scrap and 135,000 tonnes was recovered from old scrap.

Out of the total scrap purchased, the U.S. imported 60,500 tonnes of aluminium scrap in October, up 11.2% from 54,400 tonnes of aluminium scrap in September. For the first ten months of 2018, the country imported 592,000 tonnes of scrap, an increase of 60000 tonnes.