German Aluminum Exports to the UK, Poland, and France Decline in First Half of the Year

According to reports from October 1, data on Germany's downstream aluminum exports for the first half of 2026 shows that the UK remains the top destination; however, shipment volumes fell by 17.4%—from 146,392.88 tonnes in the first half of 2025 to 120,890.88 tonnes—marking an 8.8% decrease compared to the first half of 2024. Poland retained second place, with exports dropping 19.0% from 99,198.05 tonnes in the first half of 2025 to 80,304.67 tonnes. Exports to France fell 13.4% from 88,855.50 tonnes to 76,976.05 tonnes, a 9.3% decline compared to the first half of 2024. Switzerland showed a different trend: German exports to the country rose from 51,664.54 tonnes in the first half of 2024 to 74,248.61 tonnes in the first half of 2025 (a 43.7% increase); while they dipped 5.8% to 69,960.24 tonnes in the first half of 2026, the figure remained 35.4% higher than in the first half of 2024. Exports to Austria fell 19.1% from 80,983.12 tonnes in the first half of 2025 to 65,543.00 tonnes. Global exports dropped from 1 million tonnes in the first half of 2025 to 897,773.19 tonnes, a year-on-year decline of 13%. Most traditional European customers reduced their purchasing volumes. However, amidst this broad downturn, the US market bucked the trend with significant growth. US imports of downstream aluminum from Germany reached 68,061.61 tonnes—a 228.1% surge from the 20,743.62 tonnes recorded in the first half of 2025. This increase of over 47,000 tonnes was sufficient to propel the US into the list of Germany's top five destinations for the first time. Despite the surge in U.S. demand, Germany's downstream aluminum trade remains centered on Europe; the top ten destinations accounted for a combined 654,654.87 tonnes, representing approximately 73% of Germany's total global downstream aluminum exports. The shift lies in the volume of shipments to these markets.