US aluminium production increases 42% YoY in February; secondary recovery declines 7%

According to the latest report from US Geological Survey, US domestic primary aluminium production stood at 87,000 tonnes in February 2019. The average daily production was 3,100 tonnes, up 42 per cent Year-on-Year. Primary aluminium production increased slightly from January and 54 per cent from February 2017.

Total aluminium recovered from scrap was 271,000 tonnes in February, 7 per cent lower than the revised amount in February 2018. This was down 7 per cent less than the revised amount in January and 9 per cent less than the amount in February 2017.

Of this, 152,000 tonnes of aluminium was recovered from new scrap and 119,000 tonnes was recovered from old scrap.

Primary aluminium inventories in LME-approved warehouses in the United States stood at 44,175 tonnes at the end of February. Inventories of secondary aluminium (North American Secondary Aluminium Alloy Contract) also dropped to 121,700 tonnes at the end of February.

The average U.S. market price of primary aluminium ingot increased slightly in February from that in January to $1.04 per pound.