Alumina imports were just 72.2kt in June, down 36.4% m-o-m and plunging 49.4% y-o-y. Imports in H1 totaled 1.02Mt, down 56.7% y-o-y.
The decline is a response to fast-growing production in China. According to CNIA, alumina production hit a new high of 3.1Mt in June, up 3% m-o-m and rising 4% y-o-y. That brings the H1 total production to 17.37Mt, up 18.03% on the same period of last year.
Although net imports contracted sharply to about 975kt in H1, surplus in China still expanded as production significantly outpaced the rise in demand.
Due to strong production growth, Chinese imports of bauxite increased markedly.
In H1, bauxite imports totaled 20.75 mt, up 48% y-o-y. Of the total, more than 98% was from Indonesia and Australia.
Source China Metals email [email protected]