Q3 2024: North America's primary aluminium production decline causes drop in the Americas' global output share

The Americas primary aluminium production in the third quarter of 2024 maintained a steady trend, reaching 1.375 million tonnes compared to 1.372 million tonnes in Q2 2024, despite monthly output drop in August and September, particularly in North America.

Image Source: Rio Tinto's Kitimat Smelter

Over the past two months, North America's primary aluminium production decreased M-o-M, deriving 333,000 tonnes in August and 324,000 tonnes in September. The decline in August output was relatively marginal compared to 334,000 tonnes in July, but the decrease in September intensified, marking a 2.7 per cent fall.

The declining rate in North America's primary aluminium production during Q3 was akin to a 2 per cent drop in Rio Tinto's aluminium output, primarily contributed by Kitimat smelter, one of the largest smelters in Canada. At the Kitimat smelter, primary aluminium production decreased by 3.88 per cent from 107,000 tonnes in Q2 to 103,000 tonnes in Q3. Even the Arvida smelter in Quebec, Canada, saw a slight dip in output from 37,000 tonnes in Q2 to 36,000 tonnes in Q3.