The recent uptrend in US alumina imports has had less to do with an increase in demand and more to do with refinery closures - the trend that has quietly escalated over the last few years. USGS data on alumina imports from 2023 to 2025 shows the market adjusting, with imports rebounding sharply in H1 2025.
Over the first six months of 2025, US alumina imports grew to 906 thousand tonnes, registering an increase of 49.3 per cent from the same six months in the previous year. This follows fairly strong import levels in the latter half of 2024, with imports being around 730 thousand tonnes. It is evident that there has been a marked shift away from the first six months of 2024. Over this period, imports were lower by 7.3 per cent from the previous year, declining to 607 thousand tonnes from 655 thousand tonnes during H1 2023.
The recovery has not been smooth. Quarterly data shows that buying patterns were uneven through 2025. Imports in the second quarter were reported at 466 thousand tonnes, around 6 per cent higher than in the first quarter and far above earlier benchmarks, standing 44 per cent above Q2 2024 levels and 40 per cent higher than Q2 2023.
Responses
