Exports of aluminum plate/sheet and strip decreased by 800,000 mt in 2023 [SMM Analysis]

Customs data showed that in December 2023, China's aluminum plate/sheet and strip exports were 243,300 mt, up 2 percentage points MoM and 1 percentage point YoY. The monthly export volume is still fluctuating in the range of 200,000-250,000 mt. In 2023, China exported a total of 2.7729 million mt of aluminum plates/sheets and strips, down by 798,600 mt compared with 2022 and down by 184,500 mt compared with 2021.

The top five export provinces of aluminum plate/sheet and strip in December were Henan, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai. The above five places exported a total of 175,000 mt of aluminum plate/sheet and strip in December, accounting for about 72% of all. At the same time, the above places are also the top five export provinces for aluminum plate/sheet and strips throughout the year. In 2023, the above five places exported a total of 1.949 million mt of aluminum plate/sheet and strip, accounting for a total of 70.3%. The registration structure remains stable with minor changes.

In terms of export target countries, the target countries with export volumes of aluminum plate /sheet and strip exceeding 10,000 mt in December include Mexico, South Korea, the United States, Vietnam, Thailand, Canada, and Australia. The above-mentioned countries are all among the top 10 target countries for aluminum plate/sheet and strip exports in 2023. It can be seen that the structure of aluminum plate and strip export target countries is also very stable.

SMM believes that although the exports of aluminum plate/sheet and strip continued to increase MoM in the fourth quarter of 2023, the increase was relatively low and was not enough to represent a reversal in the exports of aluminum plate/sheet and strip. Most aluminum plate/sheet and strip companies reported that there were still no signs of recovery in the aluminum plate/sheet and strip export. In the first half of 2024, the exports of aluminum plate/sheet and strips are expected to remain at a low level.