Demand for Aluminum Slows in Another Sign of Troubled Economy
- US negotiations to purchase the metal for cars, cans stalling
- Consumers chewing up inventory instead of booking new deals
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Storm clouds are forming in the North American aluminum market as makers of everything from automobiles to beverage cans to kitchen appliances are holding off booking next year’s raw material orders.
Producers, recyclers and product makers of the metal gathered at a conference in Washington this week to discuss government policy and end markets with a muted mood, especially compared to a year ago when the industry was amid its best stretch in a decade.