US aluminium scrap exports to Malaysia record 22% decline in December 2019; Exports in Q4 up from Q3

According to the latest data released by the US Geological Survey, the United States aluminium scrap exports to Malaysia declined in December 2019 by 9,000 tonnes or 22 per cent from the previous month and came in at 32,500 tonnes. In November, however, the export amount to Malaysia rose by 1,400 tonnes or 3.5 per cent from October and stood at 41,500 tonnes. In October, the export amount was 40,100 tonnes compared to 30,900 tonnes in September, meaning the US aluminium scrap exports to Malaysia in October 2019 saw a month-on-month increase of 30 per cent.

Year-on-year, the export in December 2019 grew 106 per cent or by 16,700 tonnes from 15,800 tonnes in December 2018. 

The US aluminium scrap exports to Malaysia in the fourth quarter of 2019 thus, totalled at 114,100 tonnes, which in the third quarter of the year was at 76,500 tonnes. Thus, quarter-on-quarter, the aluminium scrap exports from the US to Malaysia grew 49 per cent in Q4 2019.

In the entire year of 2019, the United States exported 290,000 tonnes of aluminium scrap to Malaysia. In 2018, the export amount was 195,000 tonnes. So, the year last saw a growth of 49 per cent in the US aluminium scrap exports to Malaysia from the previous year.

After Malaysia, the Republic of Korea was the next highest destination of the United States aluminium scrap exports in December 2019, with 22,900 tonnes, almost flat from 23,000 tonnes in November 2019. In October, the export amount was slightly higher at 24,000 tonnes.

In the fourth quarter, the US exports to Korea totalled at 69,900 tonnes and in the whole year of 2019 amounted to 273,000 tonnes, up by 13.27 per cent from 241,000 tonnes in 2018.