North American Aluminum Demand Rises in 2025

Demand for extruded aluminum products declined 3.1%, while sheet, plate, foil, and electrical cable categories registered moderate gains.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The latest data published by The Aluminum Association indicates that North America’s aluminum market posted modest growth in 2025. The market signalled improved stability after weaker performance earlier in the year, it noted.

According to the report, regional aluminum demand across the U.S. and Canada edged higher 0.8% year-over-year to an estimated 26.65 billion pounds. This is slightly higher than the 26.45 billion pounds recorded in 2024. It must be noted that the demand had recorded a 2% contraction during the first half of the year.

Charles Johnson, President and CEO, said the sector demonstrated resilience despite persistent economic pressures and trade-related challenges. He added that the stronger activity in the latter half of the year helped to offset the softness earlier during the year.

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Data from domestic producer shipments and inventories indicated shipments from North American facilities slipped 0.5% through December, excluding imported material.

Demand for extruded aluminum products declined 3.1%, while sheet, plate, foil, and electrical cable categories registered moderate gains.

Meanwhile, aluminum scrap inventories surged 18.6%, supported by tariff measures that encouraged greater recycling and domestic scrap utilization.

Imports of aluminum and related products into North America rose 9.1%, mainly due to higher inflows of unwrought metal and flat-rolled materials, while exports of mill products dropped 13.2%.