SMM Data: China’s Aluminium Output In August And Forecast For September

SHANGHAI, Sep 12 (SMM) –According to SMM, in August 2023, China's aluminium production hit 3.623 million mt, up 3.9% YOY. The average daily output in August rose by 1,785 mt MoM to around 116,900 mt. From January to August, the total production reached 27.299 million mt, a 2.8% increase YOY.

In August, the proportion of liquid aluminium increased in northern and central factories but slightly declined in some southwestern factories. The overall domestic liquid aluminium ratio in August rose modestly by 0.2 percentage points to around 72.8%, up 4.8% YOY. Based on SMM's data, aluminium ingot production in August fell by 11.7% YOY. The total ingot production from January to August was about 8.18 million mt, down 12.2% YOY.

Production forecast: Entering September, domestic supply growth began to slow, with only some transferred capacities pending production. In areas like Sichuan, some capacities were reduced earlier. Companies are undergoing upgrades with no immediate plans for resumption. Considering other regional capacity changes, SMM estimates that by September's end, China's total aluminium operating capacity may slightly rise to around 42.9 million mt, and September's total aluminium output could reach about 3.51 million mt, up 5.1% YOY. Ongoing monitoring of power and operational conditions in the southwest and other regions remains necessary.