This move establishes Aleris as a qualified supplier of aluminium plate from its Zhenjiang mill for use in the production of various Boeing aircraft.

Aleris' facility in Koblenz, Germany, has supplied aluminium aerospace plate to Boeing for decades. Aleris Zhenjiang, which opened in early 2013, was modelled after the Koblenz facility to meet the needs of both global and regional aircraft manufacturers by establishing a local supply of aluminium aircraft plate in Asia Pacific.

"The achievement of the Boeing qualification represents the final major milestone in our strategy to serve the global aerospace industry from our new facility in Zhenjiang, China," Steve Demetriou, Aleris chairman and CEO said.

"We are proud of the plant's ability to produce high-quality aerospace plates that meet Boeing's rigorous specifications and look forward to serving Boeing from another strategically important location in a region that is projected to see significant growth in demand for new aircraft over the next several years."