Events and trends in metal and mineral commodities / События и тенденции в области металлов и минерального сырья

In 1992, 13 companies operated 23 primary aluminum reduction plants. Based on published market prices, the output of primary metal in 1992 was valued at $5.2 billion. Packaging accounted for an estimated 35% of domestic consumption; transportation, 20%; building, 17%; electrical, 9%; consumer durables, 8%; and other uses, 11 %. Aluminum recovered in 1992 from purchased scrap was about 2.6 Mt, of which about 40% came from new (manufacturing) scrap and 60% from old scrap (discarded aluminum products). Aluminum recovered from old scrap was equivalent to about 30% of apparent consumption.
Domestic primary aluminum production decreased in 1992, the first decline in production since 1986. A 121,000 t/y smelter in Troutdale, Oregon, closed in December 1991 and remained closed throughout 1992. U.S. imports of aluminum ingot, scrap, and semifabricated products increased slightly. Total exports declined for the first time since 1986.
The price of primary aluminum ingot increased steadily during the first four months of 1992 before beginning a downward trend that continued through the third quarter. In January, the average monthly spot price for primary ingot quoted by Metals Week was 53.7 cents per pound. The price reached a high of 61 cents per pound in April before declining to 58.15 cents per pound in September. Prices on the London Metal Exchange (LME) followed the trend of U.S. spot prices. Prices in the aluminum scrap markets paralleled the general trend of primary ingot prices. <...>