US primary aluminium production rose 1,000 tonnes M-o-M in January 2021; Average daily output remains flat

The first month of 2021 (January) saw a month-on-month rise in the United States primary aluminium production, although marginal, found the latest data of the US Geological Survey. From 77,000 tonnes in December 2020, the US domestic primary aluminium output rose 1,000 tonnes to stand at 78,000 tonnes in January 2021, showed the data. On a year-on-year basis, the output reflected a sharp fall of 14,000 tonnes from 92,000 tonnes.

The average daily production in January 2021 was 2,500 tonnes, essentially unchanged compared to 2,480 tonnes in the previous month but 16 per cent less than 2,980 tonnes a year ago.

Total aluminium recovered from scrap in January was 258,000 tonnes, 8 per cent more than the revised total in December 2020 and 3 per cent less than that in January 2020. Of this, 135,000 tonnes of aluminium was recovered from new scrap and 123,000 tonnes from old scrap.

In January 2021, the average US spot market price of primary aluminium ingot was $1.07 per pound compared to $1.06 per pound in December 2020. On a year-on-year, it was 13 per cent higher.

Inventories of primary aluminium in LME-approved warehouses, including off-warrant inventories, in the United States decreased to 204,948 tonnes at the end of January 2021 from 209,251 tonnes at the end of December 2020.

Inventories of secondary aluminium (North American Secondary Aluminium Alloy Contract) in LME-approved warehouses, including off-warrant inventories, declined to 23,183 tonnes at the end of January 2021 from 25,403 tonnes at the end of December 2020.