April 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. aluminum industry is

facing real challenges due to the war in the Middle East, trade

tariffs and high prices, but is showing resilience and ability

to adapt, officials from the Aluminum Association said on

Thursday.

"We are hearing from our members that their supply chains

are adjusting in real time," Chuck Johnson, president of the

association that represents U.S. aluminum production and jobs,

said on a call with reporters. The impact on supply chains could

be "more profound" as the conflict drags on, he added.

* The Gulf accounted for around 22% of U.S. primary and

alloyed aluminum imports in 2025, but two of the region's

smelters have been targeted by Iran and others have been unable

to ship metal via their usual channels due to the closure of the

Strait of Hormuz.

* "There is metal coming in from other smelters and other

countries," said Kelly Thomas, the association's vice chair,

without providing specifics. "The good news is that it is a

global industry and there is material available. It's just a

matter of getting it to the United States."

* Domestic aluminum recycling capacity that the U.S. has

invested in is starting to come online, which will be able to

replace some imported metal, said Duncan Pitchford, president of

Norsk Hydro's ( NHYKF ) U.S. unit.

* U.S. aluminum demand in 2025 was flat on 2024, according

to the association's preliminary numbers, Johnson said. "We ...

presume that there may be some demand destruction from direct

tariff effects, but also from the uncertainty in the market. But

we have not confirmed that to date," he added.

* The Trump administration last year imposed a 50% tariff on

imports of aluminum into the U.S., and this month made some

adjustments. "This closed a critical loophole that previously

allowed unfairly traded aluminum to enter the U.S. market

through the downstream goods," Johnson said.