US alumina imports plunge sequentially by 36.42% to 323,000 tonnes in 1Q2023

The United States alumina imports in the first quarter of 2023 ended March 31, stood at 323,000 tonnes, reflecting a sharp decline of 36.42 per cent sequentially from 508,000 tonnes, found the US Census Bureau data. On a year-on-year basis, the imports registered a fall of 27.42 per cent from 445,000 tonnes.

Last year, the United States imported 1.88 million tonnes of alumina – 21.29 per cent more than 1.55 million tonnes in 2021.

Australia, which emerged as a significant exporter of alumina to the United States in the fourth quarter of 2022, supplying 161,000 tonnes, provided nothing in Q1 2023, according to the USGS data. Brazil exported 269,000 tonnes versus 243,000 tonnes in Q4 2022 and 319,000 tonnes in Q1 2022. That indicated a month-on-month rise of 10.70 per cent and a year-on-year slump of 15.67 per cent.

Canada exported 22,300 tonnes of alumina to the US during 1Q 2023 – 13.20 per cent more than 19,700 tonnes in Q4 2022 and 16.15 per cent higher than 19,200 tonnes in Q1 2022.

In 2022, the United States imported 1.17 million tonnes of alumina from Brazil compared to 1.05 million tonnes in the previous year and hauled 80,600 tonnes from Canada versus 67,800 tonnes a year earlier.

The United States alumina exports also edged lower in 1Q2023. From 47,700 tonnes in Q4 2022, the export volume plunged 29.56 per cent to 33,600 tonnes. On a year-on-year basis, the export fell by 17.24 per cent from 40,600 tonnes.