UK’s aluminium cans import from Czech Republic to drop 20% YoY, but to rise 21% from Germany

Despite the year-on-year growth in the United Kingdom’s total aluminium cans import in 2019, the country’s import from the Czech Republic is estimated to see a drop, found the global export-import data. From 10,690 tonnes in 2018, the UK’s aluminium cans import this year is likely to decline by 20 per cent to 8,546 tonnes. In 2017, the import amount was at 4,032 tonnes, which represents that the import volume in 2018 was higher by 100 per cent from the previous year.

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Nevertheless, although the import amount from the Czech Republic is likely to stay down this year, the country is still estimated to be the major supplier among the rest.

From Germany, which is expected to be the second large supplier this year, the United Kingdom will likely import a higher amount of aluminium cans than the previous year. Compared to 6,361 tonnes in 2018, the UK is estimated to secure 7,726 tonnes in 2019, up 21 per cent. In 2017, the import amount was around 7,832 tonnes, which indicates that unlike from the Czech Republic, the UK’s aluminium cans import from Germany in 2018 dropped 19 per cent year-on-year.

The above graph also indicates that in 2017 the UK had imported a higher amount of aluminium cans from Germany than from the Czech Republic. But in 2018, the latter became the leading supplier and will expectedly remain so in 2019.

Now coming to the cost, the United Kingdom’s aluminium cans import value from Czech Republic in 2019 is estimated to grow by 33 per cent, despite the drop in import volume. From US$12 million in 2018, this year the cost is expected to peg at US$16 million. In 2017, the UK’s import value was at the highest, amounting to US$21 million, compared to that in 2018 and 2019.

The United Kingdom’s aluminium cans import cost from Germany is likely to rise as well, from US$19 million in 2018 to US$24 million, in tandem with the growth in the country’s total aluminium cans import cost.  In 2017, the import value was at US$27 million, higher than both in 2018 and 2019.

Three out of four aluminium beverage cans in the United Kingdom found their way back into the aluminium value stream, marking an all-time high for aluminium beverage cans. Such was the statistics for 2018 from the UK’s Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro). Also, food and beverage processors increasingly turned to aluminium as a packaging medium, resulting in an increase in aluminium cans usage as well as recycling in the United Kingdom.