Feb aluminium foil exports grow 0.7% YoY

The average weighted operating rate of Chinese aluminium foil producers was 87.08% in May, down 1.21 percentage points month on month, but up 3.22 percentage points year on year.

Operating rates across major aluminium processors rose slightly last week as they had to accept high aluminium prices to deliver orders. End-users find it difficult to accept current high aluminium prices. As some end-users adopt quarterly or semi-annual pricing, high aluminium prices will not pass through to end-users until they complete Q2 pricing.

SMM has surveyed 41 aluminium processing enterprises across 12 provinces. Operating rates across major aluminium processors increased 19 percentage points from a week ago to 60.1% last week.

China’s imports of copper ore and concentrate continued to decline in June, falling to 1.59 million mt from 1.69 million mt in May, according to China customs data released on Tuesday. Imports in the first half of the year, however, remained 3% higher year on year. 

On a monthly basis, however, aluminium foil exports edged up 1.87% last month

Exports of refined manganese, which contain unwrought manganese, scrap, and powder, were up 23.07% from Aug

The monthly decline grew from a 2.39% drop in Jul, to 13.32% in Aug

Exports from the world's biggest tin exporter stood at 5,518.62 mt in Aug

However, H1 exports hit a record high of 670,300 mt, up 8% from Jan-Jun of 2018

Customs data showed that only 3.98% of Chinese exports of aluminium foil entered Mexico in 2018