Domestic aluminum extrusion consumption grows 4.6 percent in 2015

The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC), Wauconda, Ill., and the Aluminum Association, Arlington, Va., have released industry estimates of aluminum extrusion shipments in North America by major market for 2015. Among key findings, domestic consumption of aluminum extrusions in the U.S. and Canada, which includes imports, totaled an estimated 5.11 billion lbs. in 2015, an increase of 4.6 percent over the 2014 total of 4.89 billion lbs.

This is the sixth year in a row that shipments of extrusions have grown and reflects a 48 percent increase in annual shipments compared to 2009. Aluminum extrusions are the third-largest product segment in the domestic aluminum industry, representing about 22 percent of the total aluminum market in North America.

Building and construction continues to be the largest market segment in the extrusion sector, with domestic shipments of 1.91 billion lbs., or 37.4 percent of the domestic market for extrusions. In 2015 shipments in this market segment grew 4.5 percent compared to the previous year.

Transportation is the second-largest market segment, totaling 1.63 billion lbs. in 2015 and representing 31.8 percent of total domestic shipments. Shipments to transportation end users increased by 8.7 percent over 2014.

While not for domestic consumption, U.S. and Canadian producers also exported 303 million lbs. of aluminum extrusions in 2015, representing 5.6 percent of total industry shipments.