U.S. aluminum consumption 2010-2022

The apparent consumption of aluminum in the United States totaled 5.1 million metric tons in 2022, up from roughly 4.1 million metric tons in the previous year.

U.S. aluminum

Transportation applications accounted for about 35 percent of domestic consumption in 2022, with the remainder being mostly used for packaging, building, and electrical purposes. Composites can be substituted for aluminum in various different applications. For example, glass, paper, plastics, and steel can be used instead of aluminum in packaging and composites, while steel, vinyl, and wood can replace aluminum in construction applications. The average spot price of aluminum ingots was 1.50 U.S. dollars per pound in 2022.

Aluminum tariffs

The President of the United States imposed a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports in March 2018. In retaliation, the Government of China imposed a 25 percent tariff on aluminum scrap imports from the United States. In 2019, the U.S. reached a deal with Mexico and Canada to lift tariffs which, since its implementation, had been a barrier to passing the United States Mexico Canada Agreement, an update to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).