According to the US Census Bureau data, the United States alumina imports in the fourth quarter of 2023 amounted to 359,000 tonnes, experiencing a sequential rise of 4.06 per cent. The quarter-on-quarter growth continued from the second quarter of the year when imports grew by 2.79 per cent from 323,000 tonnes to 332,000 tonnes. In Q3, the imports further grew by 3.9 per cent to stand at 345,000 tonnes.
However, despite the Q-o-Q growth, the US alumina imports in Q4 edged a sharp downfall year-on-year by 29.33 per cent from 508,000 tonnes.
In the entire year of 2023, the United States alumina imports totalled 1.36 million tonnes, reflecting a plunge of 27.66 per cent from 1.88 million tonnes. Going by the data share by US Geological Survey, the United States alumina imports stood down in 2023 throughout the year compared to 2022.
Brazil, being the highest exporter of alumina to the US, supplied 305,000 tonnes in Q4 2023, up by 10.51 per cent from 276,000 tonnes. The imports grew in Q4 for an alternate month after an increase in Q2 by 5.95 per cent from 269,000 tonnes to 285,000 tonnes. In Q3, Brazil’s alumina exports to the US were 276,000 tonnes, down by 3.16 per cent from Q2.
Brazil’s total alumina exports to the US in 2023 amounted to 1.13 million tonnes, down by 3.42 per cent from 1.17 million tonnes.
Australia, which was the second-highest supplier of alumina to the US in 2022, completely stopped exporting the ore to the US. Canada, replacing Australia, became the second-largest exporter of alumina to the US in 2023.
Canada’s alumina exports to the US totalled 79,100 tonnes in 2023, compared to 80,600 tonnes a year ago. In Q4, the United States imported 18,100 tonnes of alumina – 7.18 per cent less than 19,500 tonnes a quarter ago and 8.12 per cent down from 19,700 tonnes a year earlier.
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