Contributor: Greg Wittbecker

Real Alloy’s Morgantown plant voted to join Teamsters Local 89. Time will tell whether this will prove unsettling to this operation, given the Teamster's history with the company.

The billet market has been quiet in 2025 so far, but extruders exposed to the spot market are now facing some challenges.

Domestic increases in mill capacity and a struggling recycling rate, amid China's relaxed UBC scrap import policy, fail to make the case for banning US exports.

Average bookings for the seven days ended on May 14th skyrocketed, which could cause bottlenecks, as containers getting stripped and shipped from the Los Angeles/Long Beach ports

The container lines operating in this shipping lane were quick to respond to the expected surge in freight demand.

Not surprising, the major challenge to either restarting or building primary capacity pivots around finding affordably priced energy.

Since March 21 when UAE announced plans to invest $1.4 trillion in the US, including an aluminum smelter, the market has been waiting for details. Now, we have some.

The Administration was eager to announce its first major trade deal on Thursday May 8. Unfortunately, the media probably gave more airtime to the news that Robert Prevost was the first American elected Pope in the Roman Catholic Church. Timing is everything…. but still the deal had important symbolism.

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) publishes monthly freight indices and carload volumes which are a good barometer of economic activity. Canadian carriers CN and CP participate in this reporting, so aluminum imports from Canada are embedded in these numbers.

For domestic automakers, first-quarter 2025 earnings were once again defined by suspended guidance and repeated references to “tariff uncertainty”.