N. American aluminum shipments rose mo/mo in August

NEW YORK, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Demand for North American semi-fabricated aluminum mill products increased by 7.7 percent in August over July, but was down 14.2 percent from August 2008, the latest aluminum industry data showed. In its most recent Aluminum Situation report, the Aluminum Association said shipments increased to an estimated 1,647.0 million lbs from 1,529.6 million lbs in July, but were sharply lower than the 1,918.6 million lbs shipped in August 2008. Demand for North American aluminum is measured as shipments from U.S. and Canadian producers plus imports. Demand for semi-fabricated, or mill, products edged up 0.6 percent in August to 1,127.7 million lbs from 1,121.1 million lbs in July, but dropped 13.7 percent from August 2008, when 1,306.1 million lbs were shipped, the report said. In its breakdown of U.S. and Canadian mill products, the association said demand for aluminum sheet and plate was up 2.6 percent at 679.0 million lbs in August from 661.7 million lbs in July, but slipped 12.7 percent from 778.1 million lbs shipped in August 2008. Shipments of extruded products went down by 3.4 percent to 261.3 million lbs in August from 270.6 million lbs in July, and slid 14.1 percent from 304.0 million lbs in August 2008. August shipments of aluminum ingot for castings and other uses surged 27.1 percent to 519.3 million lbs in August from July's 408.6 million lbs shipped. But ingot shipments fell by 15.2 percent from 612.5 million lbs in August 2008, the aluminum report said. The industry group also said U.S. and Canadian producer inventories were down 3.5 percent in August at 2,080.7 million lbs from 2,155.4 million lbs in July, and tumbled 28.8 percent from than 2,923.3 million lbs in July. The association said aluminum exports from the United States and Canada, excluding cross-border trade, rose 4.4 percent to 591.4 million lbs in August from 566.5 million lbs in July, but was down 15.3 percent from August 2008's 697.9 million lbs. Total imports of aluminum ingot, scrap and mill products into the U.S. and Canada, minus cross-border trade, plummeted 34.7 percent in August to 279.2 million lbs from 427.7 million lbs in July, but increased by 2.8 percent over 271.6 million lbs of aluminum imported in August 2008. The association's Index of Net New Orders of aluminum mill products rose 0.6 percent in September from August, but was down 9.4 percent compared with September last year. For 2009 through September, the orders index declined 20.8 percent from the first nine months of 2008. The flat-rolled products segment of the index rose 2.3 percent in September from August, but dropped 3.2 percent from September 2008. The extruded shapes and tube component slipped 7.3 percent in September over August, and tumbled 23.5 percent from September 2008, the association's report said. Orders for other mill products, including drawing stock, electrical conductor and forgings, fell 3.1 percent in September from August and slid 32.6 percent from September last year. (Reporting by Carole Vaporean; editing by Jim Marshall)