Primary Aluminum production in North America trended flat at 1.02mn mt in Q1 2021 compared to the same quarter last year, according to the Aluminum Association data.
The region’s production tallied at 351,818mt last month compared to 356,743mt in March 2020, with the average daily production rates dropping to 11,349mt from 11,508mt during the month under review. North America’s annual rate of production also declined slightly last month to 4.14mn mt compared to 4.21mn mt in March 2020.
The sideways trend, the data noted, was driven by a fall in primary aluminum production in the US and an increase in output in Canada.
US output down in Q1
During the first quarter, the US produced 223,724mt of primary aluminum down 19.7pc from 278,629mt produced in Q1 2020. In March, the country’s production declined by 21.5pc to 75,237mt from 95,908mt in the same month last year.
The US’ annual rate of primary aluminum production declined by 19pc to 907,300mt from 1.12mn mt in Q1 2020. The country’s annual output rate dropped by 21.8pc in March to 885,900mt from 1.13mn mt in the same month last year.
Production rises in Canada
Canada’s primary aluminum production in Q1 2021 increased by 6.6pc to 802,298mt from 749,233mt in the same quarter last year. In March, the country produced 276,581mt of the metal, up by 5.6pc from 260,835mt in the same month last year.
The country’s annual rate of production increased by 7.4pc to 3.25mn mt in the first quarter from 3.01mn mt in Q1 2020. In March, the annual rate of production rose by 4.34pc to 3.25mn mt from 3.07mn mt during the same month last year.