Primary aluminium inventories shrank 7,000 mt on week

According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on August 19, beer production by China's enterprises above designated size from January to July totaled 22.767 million kiloliters, down 1.6% YoY. From the overall H1 performance, total beer production by China's enterprises above designated size in H1 2026 only edged up 0.2% YoY, with June's monthly production pulling back YoY, keeping the industry's production under pressure. Consequently, demand for aluminum cans and aluminum foil for packaging was also somewhat constrained.

According to data from ChinaIOL, the production schedule for household air conditioners in August 2026 was 10.73 million units, down 16.7% compared to the same period last year, with the decline widening MoM. In contrast, the production schedules for refrigerators and washing machines were relatively stable, at 8.77 million and 8.83 million units, respectively, representing slight increases of 0.7% and 2.3% compared to the same period last year. As a key downstream application field of aluminum foil, the demand for air-conditioner foil was significantly impacted by the ongoing decline in air conditioner production schedules.

According to preliminary data released by the China Passenger Car Association on August 21, retail sales of passenger cars in August were about 1.58 million units, up 8.1% MoM; new energy vehicle retail sales are expected to reach 1.04 million units, with the penetration rate expected to be between 65.1% and 65.8%.