Orkla says European product demand stable at higher levels

Norwegian aluminium producer Orkla said that European demand for its aluminium products stabilised at a high level during the second quarter of this year. Demand was “generally good” but growth rates are “clearly lower than last year”, the company said in its second-quarter financial results. “The Scandinavian and German markets remained strong, the markets in Benelux and the UK showed signs of a decline, while the French market showed signs of improvement after the election. Overall, growth on the European market for aluminium extrusions is estimated to be 2 % compared with the same quarter in 2006.” No surprise which region remains the weak spot for products demand. “In the USA, markets remained weak in the second quarter. Due to continued low demand in the private housing market and transport markets, the US market is estimated to have fallen 17 % compared with the second quarter of 2006,” Orkla said. .