SHANGHAI, Jul 5 (SMM) – China’s production of primary aluminium shrank 2.91% from a year ago to stand at 2.93 million mt in June, showed an SMM survey. This brought output in the first six months to 17.5 million mt, with a year-over-year decline of 1.6%.
Output received a boost from Baise Mining’s No. 2 plant in Suyuan, Yunnan Aluminium’s Haixin Aluminium in Zhaotong and Shanxi Zhongrun, but plants in the north-east such as Guangxi Xinfa and Henan Shenhuo weighed on overall output.
As of the end of June, built capacity of primary aluminium totalled 40.3 million mt, with 36.48 million mt in operation. Operating rates averaged 90.5% last month, barely changed from May.
Primary aluminium production is expected to stand at 3.03 million mt in July, down 3.3% from July 2018.
A ramp-up of newly-commissioned projects such as Shanxi Zhongrun and Mengtai Aluminium as well as a recovery at Weiqiao will grow output, but declines are likely to be seen across north-east China.
