1、 U.S.Aluminum Manufacturing:Industry Trends and Sustainability October 26,2022 Congressional Research Service https:/crsreports.congress.gov R47294 Congressional Research Service SUMMARY U.S.Aluminum Manufacturing:Industry Trends and Sustainability Aluminuma lightweight,ductile,malleable,and corrosi

2、on-resistant metalis a major component used in a wide range of consumer,industrial,and technological goods,including aircraft,building materials,motor vehicles,and several types of defense and military equipment.The aluminum industry comprises three segments:upstream,secondary or recycled,and downst

3、ream.The upstream sector consists of mining bauxite,refining it to produce alumina,and smelting it to yield primary aluminum.Secondary aluminum is derived from recycled scrap metal.The downstream sector uses both primary and secondary aluminum to produce a variety of aluminum products.Through 2000,t

4、he United States ranked as the worlds largest producer of primary aluminum.In 2021,the United States accounted for less than 2%of global primary aluminum production and ranked as the ninth-largest primary aluminum producing country.Primary aluminum smelting is highly energy-intensive,with electricit

5、y estimated to account for up to 40%of production costs.Consequently,a major reason for the decline in U.S.primary aluminum production is that the United States is a relatively high-cost producer.The worlds leading producers of primary aluminum are generally countries with comparatively low energy c

6、osts,including Canada,Russia,and the United Arab Emirates.By contrast,the United States is a major producer of secondary aluminum.In 2021,more than 75%of domestic supply came from secondary smelters.Secondary aluminum production is often more economically tenable than primary production,as it is app