Aluminum Extruders Council and Aluminum Association Announce Extrusion Shipments and End Uses for 2012

(Wauconda, Illinois and Arlington, VA; June 26, 2013) -- The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) and The Aluminum Association, Inc. (AAI) today released industry estimates of aluminum extrusion shipments in North America by major market for 2012. AEC and AAI have collaborated on reporting annual end use figures since 1999, resulting in a more accurate account of extrusion shipments, end uses, and value of the industry.

Domestic consumption of aluminum extrusions in the United States and Canada totaled an estimated 4.05 billion pounds in 2012, an increase of 5.8 percent over the revised 2011 total of 3.83 billion pounds. Building and Construction continues to be the largest market segment with domestic shipments of 1.39 billion pounds, or 34.3 percent of the domestic market for extrusions. Shipments in this market segment grew 3.0 percent in 2012 compared to 2011. Doors and windows represent 32.6 percent of this market segment's total shipments but showed little growth in 2012. Shipments to curtain wall, store fronts, and entrances represent 30.3 percent of the market sector and these end uses increased by 3.7 percent over 2011.

Transportation is the second largest market segment, totaling 1.18 billion pounds in 2012 and representing 29.0 percent of total domestic shipments. Shipments to transportation end uses increased by 9.0 percent over 2011. Passenger cars, trucks, and buses account for 44.8 percent of shipments within this segment, followed by trailers and semi-trailers at 32.4 percent.

Other market sectors include consumer durables, machinery and equipment, electrical, and others. These sectors represent 10.5, 12.4, 11.0, and 2.8 percent of total domestic shipments, respectively. Exports represent 6.0 percent of total industry shipments.

The Associations note that figures on shipments and end uses for 2001 to 2011 have been revised significantly. The revisions are based on extensive research and efforts by members of both Associations, and the process included a cooperative effort by billet suppliers and extruders to develop more accurate estimates of shipments and end uses. Processed through the Statistics Department at the Aluminum Association, members conducted blind surveys to develop total estimates for non-participating extruders. Additionally, the Aluminum Association conducted a billet shipments survey, the results of which supported the conclusion that previous estimates of the size of the aluminum extrusion market had been understated.

"Going forward, we plan to conduct annual surveys on billet shipments and recovery rates to determine total shipments by the aluminum extrusion industry. The results of existing surveys, such as the AEC annual end use survey, will be used to benchmark shipments to major markets and specific end uses," said AEC President Rand Baldwin.

"We are striving to continuously improve our estimates and both Associations encourage additional companies to participate in the monthly, quarterly and annual surveys, so that we can produce more accurate figures about the industry and its value to the North American economy," said Tim Gill Vice President, Business Information and Statistics for The Aluminum Association.

Statistics are based on the results of surveys conducted by AAI in cooperation with the AEC, as well as estimates developed by the Aluminum Association's Statistical and Market Research Committee. The surveys compute and summarize changes within each specific market segment. The AAI monthly and quarterly surveys represent about 60 percent of industry shipments. The annual end use survey for 2012 compiled data from 54 participants and these participants represent approximately 77 percent of total industry shipments. The contributions by these 54 participants are an important component of our process to develop end use estimates for the industry.

An aluminum extrusion is produced by pushing heated metal through a die by a press to produce a desired form or shape. Typical applications for extruded products include window and door frames (residential and nonresidential), store fronts and entrances, tub and shower enclosures, modular systems, rail cars, aircraft and aerospace, automobiles and light trucks, solar mounting and racking systems, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) components, consumer products, machinery components, heat exchangers, electrical power transmission and distribution, and more. For additional information visit the Extrusion Applications section of the AEC website at www.aec.org.

About AEC

The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) is an international trade association dedicated to advancing the effective use of aluminum extrusion in North America. AEC is committed to bringing comprehensive information about extrusion's characteristics, applications, environmental benefits, design and technology to users, product designers, engineers and the academic community. Further, AEC is focused on enhancing the ability of its members to meet the emerging demands of the market through sharing knowledge and best practices. For more information visit www.AEC.org and on Twitter @AEC_org.

About The Aluminum Association
The Aluminum Association, based in Arlington, Virginia, works globally to aggressively promote aluminum as the most sustainable and recyclable automotive, packaging and construction material in today's market. The Association represents U.S. and foreign-based primary producers of aluminum, aluminum recyclers and producers of fabricated products, as well as industry suppliers. Member companies operate approximately 180 plants in the United States, with many conducting business worldwide. For more information visit www.Aluminum.org, on Twitter @AluminumNews or Facebook.com/AluminumAssociation.

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For more information please contact:

Nancy Molenda, AEC Communications Manager
nmolenda@tso.net

1-847-526-2010 x227

Timothy Gill, Aluminum Association Vice President, Business Information and Statistics
tgill@aluminum.org
1-703-358-2984