(AMM) Aluminum mill product orders up in January

Aluminum mill product demand might be showing some signs of bottoming as new orders rose 4.5 percent in January from the prior month after previously registering eight consecutive declines, according to the Aluminum Association, Arlington, Va. The group's index of new orders for flat-rolled products, including can stock and foil, increased 8 percent in January, while order receipts for extruded products rose 10.7 percent month on month. Orders for other mill products, including drawing stock, electrical conductor and forgings, fell 22.4 percent in the same comparison, and were down 26.9 percent from January 2008. "In our last industry survey two weeks ago, extruders reported that January shipments were better than December," according to Jim Southwood.