Global aluminum scrap imports fall to 11.9 mln, even as recycled output climbs to 41.9 mln

The global aluminum recycling market entered 2025 with record material recovery but shrinking mobility of scrap. While worldwide secondary aluminum consumption touched 28.4 million tonnes as compared to primary consumption of 72.4 million tonnes in 2024, global recycled aluminum production reached 41.7 million tonnes during the same timeframe.

According to the International Aluminium Institute's material-flow modelling cited in AL Circle's World Recycled Aluminum Market Analysis: Industry Forecast to 2032, total aluminium scrap flows combining domestic recycling and cross-border trade expanded from 25.6 million tonnes in 2013 to 41.4 million tonnes in 2023, marking a compound annual growth rate