North American Aluminum Demand Steady in 2025

North American Aluminum Demand Steady in 2025

Report shows recovery after decline through midyear

As part of its monthly Aluminum Situation report, the Aluminum Association released preliminary estimates showing demand for the aluminum industry in North America (U.S. and Canada) increased 0.8% in 2025. The report shows improvement compared to the first half of the year, which showed a (revised) 2.0% decline.

"North American aluminum demand showed resilience in 2025, finishing the year essentially flat despite ongoing economic and trade uncertainty," said Charles Johnson, president & CEO of the Aluminum Association. "Modest growth in the second half of the year reflects continued strength in key manufacturing markets and reinforces aluminum's critical role in the North American economy. As demand potentially stabilizes, policy certainty and support for U.S. production will remain important to long-term growth and competitiveness."

Among key takeaways from the report:

• Aluminum demand in the United States and Canada (shipments by domestic producers plus imports) totaled an estimated 26.65 billion pounds in 2025, increasing 0.8% from the 2024 total of 26.45 billion pounds.
• The association's Domestic Producers Shipments & Inventories report indicates that producer shipments from U.S. and Canadian facilities decreased 0.5% through December. This number excludes imports to more clearly reflect industry aluminum and aluminum product shipments by North American firms.
• Demand for aluminum extruded products declined 3.1% in 2025 while demand for sheet & plate, foil and electrical wire & cable all experienced modest growth.
• Aluminum scrap inventory increased 18.6% in 2025, driven by tariff policy that is incentivizing the use of scrap.
• Exports of aluminum mill products declined 13.2% in 2025.
• Imports of aluminum and aluminum products into North America increased 9.1% in 2025, driven by largely by flat-rolled products and unwrought aluminum.

The U.S. aluminum industry invested more than $11 billion in U.S. operations over the past decade, powered by strong demand, strategic trade enforcement and a stable policy environment. The Trump administration has consistently acknowledged aluminum's critical role in both economic and national security. Today, America's aluminum makers are calling for strong trade enforcement targeting non-market economies; energy policy to grow primary aluminum production; harmonized tariffs and trade monitoring within North America; and common-sense efforts to recycle and keep more aluminum at home for U.S. manufacturers.

The Aluminum Situation report is one of more than two-dozen ongoing industry statistical reports developed exclusively by the Aluminum Association through surveys of aluminum producers, fabricators and recyclers. Subscribers to the Aluminum Association statistical reports have access to an online portal with data users can manipulate directly to produce interactive, presentation-ready charts and graphs.

To learn more about the Aluminum Association's statistical offerings or to subscribe, visit https://www.aluminum.org/statistics.