China Studying Scrapping Export Tax Rebates For Semi-Finished Aluminum Products -Association

BEIJING, Aug 03, 2011 (Dow Jones) -- China is conducting a study on the possibility of scrapping export tax rebates for semi-finished aluminum products, the secretary general of the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association said Thursday.

"The government is looking at the possibility of such a removal, but nothing has been finalized," Jia Mingxing said during a press conference, without elaborating.

Exporters of some semi-finished aluminum products currently enjoy a tax rebate of 13%, and industry participants have said over the past few months that the rebate could be cut to 9% as the Chinese government is also pushing to limit exports and encourage consolidation in the energy-intensive aluminum sector.