U.S. Aluminum Import Monitor with Weekly Updates

The U.S. Aluminum Import Monitor aggregates detailed license information for aluminum imports under the Census Bureau's definition of steel mill products. It provides weekly, near real-time data on import volume, value, and pricing to alert users to changes in import patterns. The dataset is published by the U.S. Department of Commerce and was last updated in September 2025.

Use Cases

• Analyze weekly trends in import volume and value to detect shifts in aluminum trade patterns.
• Monitor average unit values (pricing) of aluminum imports for market analysis and price forecasting.
• Track import license data to assess compliance and market entry following the June 2021 licensing requirement.

Strengths

• Data is updated weekly, providing near real-time insights into import activity.
• Published by the authoritative U.S. Department of Commerce, ensuring official data provenance.
• Covers all imported aluminum products under the specific Census Bureau definition, ensuring comprehensive scope.

Limitations

• Specific data structure details like column names, row counts, and file formats are unknown, limiting technical assessment.
• The dataset's utility for granular analysis is unclear without access to sample data or a defined schema.

Provenance

Source

U.S. Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Aggregates data from the import licensing system in conjunction with U.S. Census Bureau data.

Time Range

Data collection effective from June 28, 2021; time range of historical data is unspecified.

Freshness

Weekly updates; last updated 2025-09-30.

Geography

United States imports.