Aluminum scrap exports from the US increased by 18pc in January-May 2021 to 833,998mt from 705,457mt in the same period of 2020. These exports rose 40pc in May to 171,688mt, compared with 122,608mt a year earlier, according to the latest data from the US Census Bureau.
Used beverage can (UBC) shipments stood at 23,839mt in May, up 2.3 times compared with 7,208mt a year ago. The US also shipped 4,644mt of remelt scrap ingots (RSI), most of it destined for Mexico. Shipments of other scrap aluminum tallied at 143,204mt, up 25pc from a year ago. This segment mostly consists of old sheet aluminum (Taint/Tabor) and old cast (Tense).
Mexico continued to be the largest importer in May, accepting 14,035mt of aluminum scrap with Hong Kong and South Korea following at 12,221mt and 11,230mt, respectively.
Other US nonferrous scrap exports rose in March as well, with copper up 43.7pc to 84,509mt from a year earlier while zinc scrap exports surged by 184pc to 3,510mt. Nickel shipments fell by 27.8pc while lead was up 13pc from the prior-year period.