N. American aluminum production up as mill orders drift in Nov.

Dec 11, 2009 | 12:37 PM | Anne Riley

North American primary aluminum output inched higher in November for the third consecutive month as producers of the light metal looked to capitalize on higher aluminum prices, but mill orders continued to lag for the month.

In November, primary aluminum production in the United States and Canada was at an annualized rate of 4,643,275 tonnes, up 0.4 percent from October's 4,625,810 tonnes but down some 17 percent from November 2008 levels, according to combined figures from the aluminum associations of the two countries.

In the United States, primary aluminum output was at an annualized rate of 1,621,038 tonnes in November, up 0.8 percent from a month earlier. Actual U.S. production was 133,236 tonnes in November, down 2.4 percent month on month and off 34.2 percent from the same month last year, according to statistics from the Aluminum Association, Arlington, Va.....