Aluminum scrap exports increased by 8.1pc to 158,545mt in July from 146,638mt a year earlier, according to the latest data from the US Census Bureau.
Scrap exports also improved by 5pc from June, with automotive production inching closer to pre-pandemic levels as COVID-19-related lockdowns have eased and global electric vehicle production has risen.
In the first seven months of 2020, aluminum scrap exports fell by 5.9pc to 1.01mn mt from 1.08mt during the same period last year.
Used beverage can (UBC) shipments from the US resumed in July after coming to a standstill in June. However, at 10,798mt, they were still only 8pc of July 2019 levels—a marked decline from 143,443mt. Export batches also consisted of 6,424mt of remelt scrap aluminum and 141,322mt of other scrap aluminum, a segment mostly composed of non-ferrous zorba. Both categories saw exports respectively surge from 376mt and 2818mt in July 2019.
Malaysia was the largest importer, receiving 48,884mt of aluminum scrap from the US, while South Korea and India followed at 24,323mt and 21,687mt, respectively.
Other US nonferrous scrap exports climbed in July, with copper growing by 3.2pc to 73,466mt from a year earlier, and lead increasing by 55.4pc to 7,136mt. However, nickel exports decreased by 89.4pc to 968mt, and zinc declined by 50.6pc to 1,129mt.