Domestic Substitution Reduces High-Purity Aluminum Import Demand [SMM Analysis]

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SMM News, December 23, 2024:

According to customs data, in November 2024, China imported 377.96 mt of high-purity aluminum (HS code 76011010, unwrought non-alloy aluminum with aluminum content ≥99.95%). From January to November 2024, the cumulative import volume reached 1,333.81 mt.

By country, over 99% of China's high-purity aluminum imports from January to November 2024 came from four countries: Russia, Germany, Japan, and Egypt. The import volumes from these countries were 516.38 mt, 417.02 mt, 262.27 mt, and 136.48 mt, respectively, accounting for 38.71%, 31.26%, 19.66%, and 10.23% of the total import volume.

By import registration location, over 95% of secondary aluminum imports flowed to Shanghai, Shandong, Fujian, and Zhejiang. In the first 11 months, the high-purity aluminum import volumes in these four regions were 642.54 mt, 289.33 mt, 203.53 mt, and 149.41 mt, respectively, accounting for 48.17%, 21.69%, 15.26%, and 11.20% of the total import volume.

Currently, the market generally believes that Japan possesses the most advanced high-purity aluminum production technology and is also China's largest source of high-purity aluminum imports. Additionally, some regions act as "transit hubs" in the cross-border trade of high-purity aluminum. High-purity aluminum is mainly used in aerospace, aluminum target materials, and aluminum electrolytic capacitors, characterized by "high precision" and "small production scale." With the continuous technological advancements and capacity expansion of domestic high-purity aluminum enterprises in recent years, the demand for high-purity aluminum imports is expected to decline in the future.

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