Market evolution: Aluminium structures (CN 7610) — 2015–2025

Introduction

This report examines the evolution of EU trade in aluminium structures and related products (Combined Nomenclature code 7610) over the period 2015–2025. The product category encompasses a wide range of aluminium items including bridges and bridge sections, towers, lattice masts, pillars, columns, roofs, roofing frameworks, doors, windows, shutters, balustrades, as well as plates, rods, profiles, and tubes prepared for structural use. The data covers the General Overview of EU extra-EU trade flows and reveals several significant trends that have reshaped the market over the past decade, including rising import penetration from specific partners, structural shifts in trade volumes and values, and notable price dynamics.

1. The Divergence Between Export Value Growth and Volume Contraction

Export value rose substantially while tonnage declined

Over the period 2015–2025, the EU's total exports of aluminium structures increased in value from €1.66 billion to €2.32 billion, representing a 39.9% rise. However, the exported quantity actually fell from approximately 199,517 tonnes to 186,067 tonnes over the same period, a decline of 6.7%. This divergence is explained by a sharp 50.0% increase in average export unit prices, from €8,302 per tonne to €12,451 per tonne.

EU exporters shifted toward higher-value products

The combination of falling volumes and rising values suggests that EU producers have moved upmarket, exporting fewer tonnes but at significantly higher prices. This could reflect a shift towards more specialised, higher-margin aluminium structural products, or simply the pass-through of higher raw material and energy costs. The peak export value reached €2.43 billion in 2022, coinciding with post-pandemic demand recovery and elevated commodity prices across Europe.

Imports grew in both volume and value at a much faster pace

In contrast to the export picture, EU imports surged dramatically — from €622 million to €1.49 billion in value (+138.8%) and from 141,247 tonnes to 263,901 tonnes in volume (+86.8%). The average import price rose more modestly at 27.8% (from €4,407/t to €5,633/t). The EU's trade surplus in aluminium structures consequently narrowed from €1.03 billion in 2015 to €830 million in 2025, a decline of 19.7%.

2. The Rising Import Penetration From China, Türkiye, and Western Balkan Suppliers

China became the dominant non-EU supplier by a wide margin

Among all non-EU trading partners, China experienced the most dramatic increase in exports to the EU. Chinese exports of aluminium structures to the EU grew from €270 million in 2015 to €742 million in 2025, a 175.1% increase. China's share of total non-EU imports grew correspondingly, making it by far the largest single-country supplier to the EU market.

Türkiye and Western Balkan countries emerged as fast-growing suppliers

The second and third fastest-growing import partners were Türkiye (+210.4%, from €70 million to €217 million) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (+353.2%, from €26 million to €117 million). Serbia also recorded explosive growth of 334.7%, rising from €9 million to €37 million. The rise of Western Balkan suppliers is consistent with the EU's deepening trade integration with the region through Stabilisation and Association Agreements, which provide preferential market access. Türkiye's growth similarly benefits from the EU-Turkey Customs Union arrangement.

Traditional European partners maintained steady but slower growth

The United Kingdom and Switzerland — the EU's two largest export destinations — grew more modestly on the import side, at 15.8% and 12.8% respectively. The UK remained the EU's top export market, with exports rising from €398 million to €665 million (+67.0%), followed by Switzerland (€321 million to €453 million, +41.3%) and the United States (€157 million to €258 million, +64.2%).

The collapse of Russian exports marked a geopolitical rupture

EU exports to the Russian Federation virtually disappeared over the period, falling from €55 million in 2015 to just €168,501 in 2025 — a decline of 99.7%. This dramatic supply shock aligns with the imposition of EU sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, effectively eliminating this trade relationship.

3. Structural Shifts Within the Product Mix and Intra-EU Production Dynamics

Doors and windows (761010) commanded higher unit prices than other structures (761090)

The product segment breakdown reveals distinct dynamics between the two sub-categories. Aluminium doors, windows and their frames (subheading 761010) consistently achieved much higher export prices — reaching €13,986 per tonne in 2025 — compared with other aluminium structures (761090) at €11,781 per tonne. This reflects the higher degree of manufacturing, finishing, and design complexity embedded in door and window products.

Imports were dominated by lower-priced structural products

On the import side, subheading 761090 accounted for the lion's share of both volume and value. In 2025, the EU imported 214,988 tonnes of this category at an average price of €5,376 per tonne, compared with 48,913 tonnes of doors/windows at €6,760 per tonne. The substantial price differential — with imported 761090 products at roughly half the price of EU exports of the same category — points to strong cost competitiveness of foreign suppliers in basic structural aluminium products.

EU production shifted toward higher value despite collapsing item counts

Intra-EU production data shows a striking divergence: the number of items produced fell by 95.7% (from over 1 billion units to 43.5 million), while production value nearly doubled from €14.6 billion to €29.2 billion (+99.8%). This suggests a major structural transformation in EU manufacturing, with domestic producers concentrating on fewer, higher-value-added items — likely complex engineered structures, custom architectural elements, and specialised industrial applications — while leaving higher-volume, lower-value production to imports.

Central and Southern European Member States showed the greatest export specialisation

According to RSCA indices, the most specialised exporters of aluminium structures in 2025 were Slovenia (RSCA 0.56), Portugal (0.53), Poland (0.51), Austria (0.41), and Croatia (0.37). Poland in particular stood out, accounting for 20.4% of EU production in this sector and achieving a 235.8% increase in export value (from €73 million to €246 million). Conversely, large economies such as France (RSCA −0.44) and the Netherlands (−0.38) displayed negative specialisation, importing more than their share of this product relative to their overall trade profile.

Conclusion

The EU market for aluminium structures (CN 7610) underwent significant transformation between 2015 and 2025. While the EU maintained a positive trade balance throughout the period, its surplus narrowed by nearly 20% as imports from third countries — particularly China, Türkiye, and Western Balkan partners — grew at a far faster rate than exports. The EU's export performance was characterised by a strategic shift towards higher unit-value products, with average export prices rising by 50% even as volumes declined slightly. Intra-EU production data reinforces this narrative of moving upmarket, with domestic output concentrating on fewer but more valuable items. Geopolitical factors also left a clear imprint: the near-total collapse of trade with Russia post-2022 contrasts with the rapid growth of suppliers benefiting from preferential EU trade agreements. Looking ahead, the increasing trade intensity of the sector (rising from 7.1% to 12.7%) and rising import concentration (HHI for imports increasing from 2,368 to 2,886) suggest that supply chain diversification and competitiveness will remain key strategic concerns for EU policymakers and industry stakeholders in the aluminium structures sector.