Rusal America delivered a record 25,000mt of aluminum products in March amid a demand surge in the US market.
While media reports did not specify the type of aluminum, Davis Index learnt that a majority of shipments were billet grades. Notably, Brian Hesse, chief executive officer, Rusal America, said that the expects deliveries to remain at a similar level through the year as demand from the construction and auto sector, as well as beverage packaging.
Still, Hesse noted that increased cost of freight and inland trucking has raised overhead costs. Rusal America has now moved its customer base to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) rather than trading houses as a result of the 2018 sanctions on the company’s Russian parent company.