China’s primary aluminium imports continue to downtrend in June by 23.22% M-o-M due to a closed import window

China’s primary aluminium imports in June 2024 recorded a month-on-month decline of 23.22 per cent but a year-on-year rise of 35.61 per cent to 121,200 tonnes, found the Shanghai Metals Market survey. In May 2024, the import volume stood at 158,000 tonnes, down by 27.8 per cent from the previous month. Thus, the data represents a higher rate of decline in China’s primary aluminium imports during June 2024.

China’s primary aluminium exports in June stood at approximately 7,000 tonnes, and thus the net import volume in the said month was 114,200 tonnes, up 102.5 per cent Y-o-Y, but down by 24.41 per cent M-o-M.

From January to June 2024, China’s cumulative primary aluminium import volume was 1.219 million tonnes, up 151.1 per cent Y-o-Y. The total net import volume was 1.191 million tonnes as the export volume in six months was 28,300 tonnes, down 50.91 per cent Y-o-Y.

China’s import volume of primary aluminium continued to decline in June 2024 since mid-to-late April, owing to the closed import window for the past three months. The volume of primary aluminium in transit decreased, while the port arrivals of aluminium ingot were from long-term domestic sources.

The main sources of China’s primary aluminium imports in June 2024 were Russia, China, Indonesia, India, and Kazakhstan. From Russia, China imported about 56,700 tonnes of primary aluminium, which accounted for 46.77 per cent of China’s total imports. Russia secures alumina from China, processes it into aluminium ingots, and then exports it back to China. The total import volume through this process in June 2024 was about 26,000 tonnes, accounting for 21.48 per cent of Russia’s total primary aluminium exports to China in the said month.

From Indonesia, China imported 10,600 tonnes of primary aluminium, which accounted for 8.74 per cent of the total imports; from India, the import volume was 9,700 tonnes, accounting for 8.08 per cent of the total imports; and from Kazakhstan, it was 7,500 tonnes, accounting for 6.22 per cent.

The key export destinations for China were South Korea, Japan, and Nigeria. South Korea accounted for 58.08 per cent of China’s June exports, Japan accounted for 14.57 per cent, and Nigeria 12.77 per cent.

For July 2024, SMM expects China’s net import volume of primary aluminium to range between 100,000-120,000 tonnes, with imports mainly consisting of long-term contract sources.