Aluminum Production NAICS 3313

May 18, 2025 - US Lifts Tariffs on UK Metal Exports

• Under a US-UK trade deal struck in May, UK exports of aluminium and steel to the US will no longer be subject to tariffs, Aluminium International Today (AIT) reports. In March, President Trump raised tariffs on aluminum imports from 10% to 25% for all countries. In 2024, UK exports of aluminum to the US totaled just $252.2 million, making Britain a very minor supplier to the US. Also part of the agreement, the first 100,000 British cars sold in the US annually would be subject to a reduced 10% levy. In return, the deal would open the UK market to US beef, ethanol, and other agricultural products. While both parties hailed the deal as “historic,” details still must be worked out, nothing has been signed yet, and no date has been given for the effective removal date of the tariffs, according to AIT.
• On March 12, President Trump moved to protect US metals producers by increasing US import tariffs on steel and aluminum. Trump restored effective no-exclusion tariffs of 25% on all imports of the metals and extended the duties to 289 steel and aluminum downstream product groups, from nuts and bolts to soda cans, Reuters reports. Canada and the European Union retaliated with the EU imposing tariffs on up to 26 billion euros of US exports, while Canada – the biggest foreign supplier of steel and aluminum to the US – plans more than $20 billion in retaliatory tariffs, per Reuters. US aluminum and steel producers welcomed the administration’s action, while downstream users of the metals said the tariffs will raise their costs. Aluminum and steel companies have long complained about foreign producers undercutting them on price and say tariffs have been effective at spurring more investment in the US.

• An alumina shortage and shipping disruptions that drove up the global price of aluminum last year, are expected to ease in 2025, according to Metal.com. (Aluminum metal is produced by refining alumina oxide from bauxite into alumina.) Per a Shanghai Metal Market (SMM) report, alumina supply growth is likely to outpace demand this year, creating a surplus that could reduce pressure on operating costs for aluminum producers. Based on SMM’s analysis, the global metallurgical-grade alumina (MGA) surplus is expected to reach approximately 2.6 million tons in 2025, a year-over-year increase of about 2 million tons. Primary aluminum may shift to a narrow surplus amid limited capacity growth and steady demand, per SMM. Regional markets are expected to vary, with the US remaining resilient while Europe faces supply risks.
• Employment by alumina, aluminum, and other nonferrous metal producers grew 1.6% in March compared to a year ago, while the average industry wage for workers employed by primary metals manufacturers rose 3.6% year over year in April to $29.83, easing from its high in March, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. After-tax profits for nonferrous metals companies jumped 46.7% year over year in the fourth quarter amid rising sales, but fell 15.9% from Q3, according to Census Bureau data. According to the latest US Geological Survey data, US primary aluminum production in February was 52,000 metric tons (t). The average daily production in February was 1,850 t, unchanged from January, 3% more than in February 2024, and 3% less than in February 2023.