Markets

The aluminium industry was confronted with numerous challenges in 2019. The main ones are declining demand from important customer industries and the increase in imports from China.

The turnover of the German aluminium industry fell by 5.4 percent to 20.6 billion euros. The main reason for the drop in sales was a 10 per cent reduction in metal prices on the London Metal Exchange from an average of €1,785 to €1,600 per tonne of aluminium. One of the reasons for this decline was a global weakness in industrial activity.

In 2019, some 65,000 people were directly employed in the 252 companies of the German aluminium industry. Compared with 2018, this represents a decline in employment of 1 percent. In addition, the aluminium industry generates employment in related sectors of the economy and can therefore be described as an industry that is relevant to employment in Germany.

The structure of the sales markets for aluminium products in 2019 is as follows: The transport sector has a demand share of 47 percent. Construction and packaging account for a combined share of 26 percent. The industrial sectors (mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and the iron and steel industry) account for a total of 19 percent. The remaining product sectors together account for 8 percent of demand. Compared to 2018, there are hardly any changes.