SHANGHAI, Dec. 10 (SMM) – SMM’s most recent survey of domestic 37 aluminum plate, sheet, strip and foil producers found that 50% expect new orders to remain unchanged in December, 40% expect new orders to fall and the rest 10% believe new orders will rise.

Orders from packaging, transportation and other sectors are beginning to drop since domestic construction and infrastructure projects are coming to an end. Most producers will begin to take a break for the Chinese New Year holiday from middle or late January of 2013 due to anemic trading activity. Production of orders to be received in late this December or early next January will be postponed. As a whole, orders will be stable in December.

Producers usually build up air-conditioner foil from October through next May. It is expected that air-conditioner consumption will be lackluster next year and air-conditioner foil consumption showed no signs of recovery in October. However, orders for air-conditioner foil began to increase in November, so SMM expects air-conditioner foil markets to turn for the better in the future.