North American aluminum extrusion industry hit record high shipments in 2018

The aluminum extrusion industry in the United States and Canada reached record high shipments in 2018.

The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC), Wauconda, Ill., and the Aluminum Association, Arlington, Va., report that the aluminum extrusion industry in the U.S. and Canada had record high shipments in 2018.

Producer shipments totaled 5.51 billion lbs. in 2018, which is 4.5 percent higher than shipments in 2017 and 3.2 percent higher than shipments in 2006. This is the ninth consecutive year of growth.

Shipments of extruded products to domestic markets increased across all sectors in 2018. Building and construction continues to be the largest market sector for extruded products, with shipments of 2.12 billion lbs. in 2018. Transportation is the second-largest market sector at 1.82 billion lbs. Auto and light truck is the principal growth market for extruded products, and shipments to this sector have grown by more than 72 percent since 2006.

Imports of extruded products into the U.S. and Canada, excluding cross-border trade, continued to rise in 2018 and totaled 472 million lbs. Import penetration, which is measured as a share of domestic producer shipments less exports, grew to 8.4 percent in 2018, compared to 7.5 percent in 2017. Peak imports were recorded in 2010 at 488 million lbs. The top five source countries for imports during 2018 were Mexico, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and China.