The United States’ dynamic transformation in aluminium trade landscape is very well reflected through its semi-finished product imports, specifically aluminium plates, sheets, and bars as they show both volume growth and evolving sourcing patterns in Q1 2025. Despite maintaining a modest 22 per cent share of the country’s total aluminium imports during the quarter, this segment displayed a notable increase in volume, reaching 324,000 tonnes, up 10.69 per cent from 292,700 tonnes in Q4 2024.
Yet, this sequential uptick didn’t surpass the 339,000 tonnes imported in Q2 2024. However, it did outpace Q3 2024’s figure of 300,600 tonnes and marked a 10.97 per cent rise year-on-year from 292,000 tonnes, reinforcing the upward trajectory driven by policy anticipation and domestic demand.
February surge: a pre-tariff rush
The spike in imports was largely influenced by a sharp rise in February, when shipments totalled 101,000 tonnes, following a subdued 56,900 tonnes in January. Although March imports dipped 2.38 per cent month-on-month to 98,600 tonnes, the overall Q1 growth remained intact.
This front-loading of imports was triggered by the Trump administration’s announced tariffs on aluminium, set to take effect on March 12. The preemptive buying in February wasn’t just a reaction to looming import costs but also aimed to sidestep anticipated retaliatory duties from trade partners, a factor that drove both imports and exports.
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