Aluminum scrap exports increased by 6.8pc to 158,805mt in September compared with 148,734mt a year earlier, according to the latest data from the US Census Bureau.
Scrap exports were flat compared to the prior months in the third quarter, on consistent demand for aluminum as car production revived after the COVID-19 pandemic. In January-September 2020, aluminum scrap exports fell by 3.7pc to 1.33mn mt from 1.38mn mt in the same period last year.
Used beverage can (UBC) shipments from the US resumed in July, after a brief halt in June. By September, they were at 18,032mt, still 13pc below 174,734mt exported in the same month last year. Export batches also consisted of 5,102mt of remelt scrap aluminum and 135,671mt of other scrap aluminum, a segment which mostly consists of non-ferrous Zorba. Both categories’ exports surged from a mere 590mt and 409mt in last September, respectively.
India was the largest importer of aluminum scrap from the US in September, accepting 20,135mt of the material, while South Korea and Mexico followed at 15,723mt and 12,033mt, respectively.
Other US nonferrous scrap exports declined in August, with copper falling 2.1pc to 64,922mt from a year earlier and nickel down by 90pc at 1,118mt. Zinc shipments also fell short by 18.3pc to 2,266mt. However, lead was up by 37.7pc in the same period under comparison at 6,907mt.