The US needs more aluminium, but new smelters are years away

The US urgently needs more aluminium for its defence sector, but new smelters will take years to come online, while disruptions to high-purity aluminium imports have exposed a more immediate supply vulnerability.

The United States is facing a growing aluminium supply challenge that is becoming increasingly important for its defence sector, as rebuilding domestic production capacity remains a long-term process and overseas supply disruptions threaten access to specialised metal.

President Donald Trump recently said the US “desperately” needs more aluminium, highlighting the urgency facing a market that remains heavily dependent on imports despite efforts to revive domestic production.

One of the most prominent new projects is the planned aluminium smelter in Inola, Oklahoma, a joint venture between US producer Century Aluminum and Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA). The project has received USD 500 million in federal funding and is intended to strengthen US aluminium production.

But the project illustrates the problem facing the US: even if construction begins as scheduled by the end of 2026, the smelter is not expected to produce its first hot metal for at least another three years.

The US can invest in new production capacity, but new facilities require years to build. Defence planners, meanwhile, need to know where their aluminium will come from if supply is disrupted during a major conflict.

The most immediate concern is not necessarily ordinary aluminium, but high-purity aluminium (HPA).

The US defence sector accounts for only around 5 per cent of domestic aluminium demand, but its share is significantly higher when it comes to HPA. The specialised material, often used in alloy form, is required for some of the Pentagon's essential systems.

The US has only one domestic HPA producer, leaving the defence sector heavily reliant on imports.

A significant portion of those imports has historically come from the United Arab Emirates, making the supply chain particularly vulnerable to disruption in the Gulf.

That vulnerability became more apparent after Iran attacked EGA's Al Taweelah smelter in March. EGA has begun restoring operations, with a quarter of its electrolytic cells operational as of Wednesday, but US imports from the UAE have fallen sharply since the attack.