NEW YORK, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Aluminum shipments, including imports, by U.S. and Canadian producers reached an estimated 1.843 billion lbs in June, down 3.9 percent from the same month a year ago, the Aluminum Association said in its latest report.
In its monthly "Aluminum Situation" update for August, the trade group said shipments to domestic markets within the U.S. and Canada, excluding cross-border trade, totaled about 1.732 billion lbs, off 0.1 percent from last year.
Shipments of aluminum mill products in June, the latest month for which data were available, fell to 1.264 million lbs, down 3.0 percent from June 2002.
Aluminum plate shipments dropped 3.9 percent to 731 million lbs while extruded product shipments eased 3.3 percent to 334 million lbs. Net shipments of ingot for castings and other uses were down 5.7 percent at about 579 lbs, the report said.
In the year-to-date, total industry shipments are 3.5 percent lower than they were in 2002, the association said.
Looking at aluminum production, U.S. and Canadian primary output in July 2003 dipped to an annual rate of 5.45 million tonnes, off 0.5 percent from June's rate of 5.48 million tonnes. Year-on-year, July's annual rate was also 0.5 percent lower than July 2002.
Actual metal production in July totaled 463,044 tonnes. The annual rate of U.S. production in July was 2.66 million tonnes while the annual rate of Canadian output was 2.79 million tonnes.
The Aluminum Association said U.S. producer inventories totaled 2.992 billion lbs in June, a decline of 2.7 percent from May's 3.076 billion lbs.
The Association's index of net new orders of aluminum mill products rose 2.7 percent in July 2003 to 94.9 from 92.4 in June, due to increases in orders for electrical conductor products and forgings.
However, new orders in the first seven months of 2003 are down 8.5 percent on a year-on-year basis.
Orders for flat-rolled products in July, including aluminum can stock, decreased 4.9 percent while orders for extruded products eased 3.1 percent, it said.
According to U.S. Geological Survey data, about 631 million lbs of aluminum scrap was used during June, a fall of 2.7 percent, the Association said. In the year to date, scrap consumption totaled 3.842 billion lbs, off 3.1 percent.