US, Canada January aluminum demand down 2.9% year on year: trade group

January aluminum demand in the US and Canada -- measured as shipments by domestic producers plus imports -- totaled an estimated 2.018 billion lb, down 2.9% from January 2013, according to preliminary estimates from the Aluminum Association.

Demand for semi-fabricated, or mill, products totaled 1.350 billion lb, down 1.5% from 1.37 billion lbs in January 2013, while apparent consumption, expressed as demand less exports, in domestic markets totaled an estimated 1.673 billion lb, down 4.6% from 1.753 billion lb in January 2013, the trade group said in data released Friday.

Exports of aluminum ingot and mill products from the US and Canada excluding cross-border trade totaled 346 million lb in January, up 6.5% from last year, while imports were up 6.5% to 405 million lb.

Aluminum sheet and plate demand totaled 755 million lb in January, down 3% year on year. Extruded products were up 6.1% year over year to 387 million lb.

Estimated shipments of aluminum ingot for castings, exports and other uses totaled 669 million lb, declining 5.5% from a year ago, the group said.

Producer inventories totaled 2.526 billion lb in January, 1.3% above December's 2.494 billion lb and down 2.1% from January 2013.

The US aluminum industry purchased an estimated 691 million lb of aluminum scrap in December, according to aluminum recycling statistics published by the US Geological Survey, down 3.1% from the December 2012 total of 713 million lb. The USGS estimates recovery of aluminum and aluminum alloys totaled 596 million lb in December, down 3.3% year on year.

For 2013, preliminary data indicate that recovery of aluminum from scrap totaled an estimated 7.676 billion lb, up 1.5% over 2012. US exports of scrap, not included in the government's consumption statistics, totaled 4.122 billion lb in 2013, down 7.6% from 2012.

Aluminum imports of ingot, scrap and mill products into the US and Canada excluding cross-border trade totaled 433 million lb in January, up 1.9% from the January 2013 total of 425 million lb. Including scrap, exports totaled 641 million lb in January, up 0.8% over a year ago.

Excluding scrap, January exports totaled 346 million lb, up 6.5% from last year. Exports of scrap were up 24.5% over December.

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