SHANGHAI, Jan 8 (SMM) – China’s primary aluminium output climbed to 3.04 million mt in December, to produce a year-over-year increase of 1.47%, showed an SMM survey.

In the full 2019, production dipped 1.84% from 2018 to 35.43 million mt, and consumption slipped 1.4% to 36.11 million mt. Inventories, meanwhile, declined 686,000 mt.

Primary aluminium capacity in operation in China is expected to expand to 36.4 million mt on an annualised basis in January, as new projects including Zhongfu’s in Guangyuan of Sichuan, Shenhuo’s in Yunnan, Yunnan Aluminium’s in Heqing county and East Hope’s in Guyang of Inner Mongolia will ramp up and also some facilities will resume.

Production is estimated to extend its increase to 3.06 million mt in January. This would rise 3.07% from January 2019, marking a second straight month of year-over-year increases.