Where's aluminum demand going?

By Staff -- Purchasing, 3/8/2001

From Japan comes a Sumitomo Corp. forecast that demand for primary aluminum in the Western World will rise 1% to 20.22 million metric tons from the 20.03 million metric tons in 2000. From Canada comes an Alcan Aluminium Ltd. forecast that consumption will slide by 0.1% to 20 million metric tons. Why the difference? Sumitomo and Alcan economists both see demand rising everywhere but North America. Sumitomo sees demand in the U.S. and Canada sliding 2%, Alcan has a more pessimistic 4.9% reduction in demand. Sumitomo suggests that Western World supply in 2001 will be 20.17 million metric tons, or 1% ahead of the total 2000 supply of 19.97 million metric tons. Carmine Nappi, Alcan's director of industry analysis, thinks supply will rise by 1.8% to 20.33 million metric tons.