No availability, no demand

Economic realities continue to have a serious and negative effect on our business, with most consumers and processors reporting stagnant conditions just about everywhere in the world.

Hardest hit seems to be the secondary aluminum sector, usually the first to suffer in declining economies, and this go-round is no different. Credit insurers are slashing coverage seemingly on anything that gets within a few kilometers of a piece of aluminum. One consumer said: "I suppose we could look at this as a well-balanced industry right now - nobody needs what no-one has available!"

There is some good news out there: with declining metal prices, my daily e-mail inbox isn't full of ISRI theft alerts. It appears nobody wants our products.

Seethe monthly world wide market update in our Members only section withreports from key countries.