Aluminum Scrap Markets
May 22, 2026
North American demand gained slightly in 2025, Aluminum Association reports
Written by Stephanie Ritenbaugh
North American aluminum demand increased slightly in 2025, rising 0.8%, according to a report from the Aluminum Association.
The trade group’s report showed an improvement from the first half of the year, which showed a 2% decline.
Demand totaled an estimated 26.65 billion pounds in 2025, a year marked by an shifting tariff environment, the association said.
“North American aluminum demand showed resilience in 2025, finishing the year essentially flat despite ongoing economic and trade uncertainty,” Charles Johnson, president & CEO of the Aluminum Association, said in a statement.
“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 US production will remain important to long-term growth and competitiveness.”
Producer shipments, excluding imports, from US and Canadian facilities decreased 0.5% in 2025, the report found.
Demand for aluminum extruded products slipped 3.1% in 2025, while demand for sheet and plate, foil, and electrical wire and cable all “experienced modest growth,” the association said.
Scrap inventory gained 18.6% in 2025, driven by tariff policy incentivizing the use of recycled material.
Exports of aluminum mill products dropped 13.2% in 2025. Imports of aluminum and aluminum products into North America increased 9.1%, driven by flat-rolled products and unwrought aluminum, the association found.
Looking ahead, the US, Canada and Mexico are preparing to renegotiate their trade agreement. The review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is scheduled for July 1.
In the meantime, The US Department of Commerce has released new procedures allowing certain steel and aluminum producers in Canada and Mexico to qualify for reduced Section 232 tariffs, provided they commit to building new primary production capacity inside the United States.
