US domestic primary aluminium output declines for the third month in a row to 61,000 tonnes: USGS

In August 2022, the United States’ domestic primary aluminium production stood at 61,000 tonnes, falling further, although at a lower rate than the previous month, found the US Census Bureau data. The output in July fell by 14,000 tonnes M-o-M to come in at 64,000 tonnes, while that in August dipped by 3,000 tonnes.

The production decline in August marks the third consecutive month-on-month fall since June 2022, whereby the output plunged by 6,000 tonnes or 7.14 per cent from 84,000 tonnes to 78,000 tonnes.

On a year-on-year calculation, the production in August 2022 was 12,000 tonnes or 16.44 per cent less than 73,000 tonnes.

The average daily production was 1,980 tonnes, which registered a decline of 4.35 per cent from 2,070 tonnes in July’22 and 16.11 per cent from 2,360 tonnes in August’21.

Total aluminium recovered from scrap in August 2022 was 295,000 tonnes, 3.87 per cent more than 284,000 tonnes a month ago and 10.49 per cent higher than 267,000 tonnes a year earlier. Of this, 162,000 tonnes of aluminium was recovered from new scrap and 132,000 tonnes from old scrap.

In Augsut 2022, the US spot market price of primary aluminum ingot was $1.37 per pound, essentially unchanged from that in July 2022 and 10 per cent less than in August 2021. The average cash price of primary aluminium ingot on the London Metal Exchange (LME) was $1.10 per pound, essentially unchanged from July 2022 and 7 per cent less than in August 2021.

Inventories of primary aluminium in LME-approved warehouses, including off-warrant inventories, in the United States decreased to 17,225 tonnes at the end of August 2022 from 20,110 tonnes at the end of July 2022. Inventories of secondary aluminium (North American Secondary Aluminium Alloy Contract) in LME-approved warehouses, including off-warrant inventories, declined to 4,996 tonnes at the end of August 2022 from 6,027 tonnes at the end of July 2022.