The United States aluminium scrap exports slightly dipped month-on-month but increased year-over-year, according to the US Census Bureau data. However, the monthly fall was not significant enough to disturb the annual growth trend of the United States aluminium scrap imports in the first four months of 2024.
The United States aluminium scrap exports in April 2024 totalled 180,000 tonnes, down by 2,000 tonnes or 1.10 per cent from 182,000 tonnes in March and up by 13,000 tonnes or 7.22 per cent from 167,000 tonnes in April 2023.
During January-April, the United States aluminium scrap exports amounted to 675,000 tonnes versus 662,000 tonnes during the corresponding period of the previous year, reflecting an increase of 1.96 per cent.
The annual growth in the United States’ total aluminium scrap exports from January to April 2024 was driven by India, securing 128,000 tonnes, accounting for 19 per cent of the US total exports. However, the volume decreased year-on-year by about 6 per cent from 136,000 tonnes.
The United States aluminium scrap exports to India showcased a fluctuating trend through the first four months of the year. In February, the export volume decreased straight by 5,000 tonnes M-o-M to 20,900 tonnes from 25,900 tonnes. Subsequently, in March, it surged to 40,900 tonnes but remained almost unchanged in April at 40,400 tonnes.
However, the fluctuation in exports to India was offset by other shipment destinations, resulting in an overall steady export trend for the United States through April 2024. In February, the United States total aluminium scrap exports stood at 158,000 tonnes, up by 1.94 per cent from 155,000 tonnes. In March, the volume surged by 15.2 per cent to 182,000 tonnes, followed by a slight drop of 1 per cent in April.
The relentless growth in the United States aluminium scrap export volume indicates substantial scrap generation within the region. In April 2024, the total aluminium recovered from scrap in the US was 299,000 tonnes, slightly down from 302,000 tonnes in March but up from 275,000 tonnes in January and 293,000 tonnes in February. On a year-on-year basis, the scrap generation in April soared by 29,000 tonnes or 10.74 per cent from 270,000 tonnes.
