US aluminium exports keep shrinking. In the first half of 2025, volumes plunged to 562.17 thousand tonnes down from over 804.67 thousand tonnes a year earlier, same period. It continues the downward trend from 679.20 thousand tonnes in H1 2023 and 593.52 thousand tonnes in H1 2022, as reported in the Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025 by the US Geological Survey.
In H1 2024, the main destinations for US aluminum exports were Malaysia, Mexico, Canada, India, and Thailand. By H1 2025, the top markets shifted to Japan—leading with 66,000 tonnes of unwrought aluminum alloy—followed by India, South Korea, Mexico, and Vietnam.
This sharp fall underscores a worsening crisis in the US aluminium industry, driven by a combination of factors such as smelter and refinery shutdowns, rising energy costs, and complex tariff-related trade barriers.
Smelters struggle to stay alive
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