Operating rates across secondary aluminium makers edged higher in May

SHANGHAI, Jun 18 (SMM) – Operating rates across China’s secondary aluminium industry inched up 1.6 percentage points from the previous month to 48.69% in May, 5 percentage points lower from the same month of 2019, showed an SMM survey.

Chinese secondary aluminium producers stepped up operations slightly last month as auto sales improved moderately amid the government’s stimulus efforts. Industry data showed that China’s production and sales of automobiles returned to double-digit growth in May from a year ago.

The influx of foreign aluminium alloy ingots, on the other hand, did not exert hefty pressure on Chinese producers last month, allowing them to maintain stable operations.

Small and medium-sized secondary aluminium producers in China bear the brunt of increasing imports in June, lowering the average operating rate across the domestic industry slightly.