According to the CNIA, primary output was 1.49Mt in October, down 5.7% from the previous month but still up 15.5% y-o-y.
That brings the Jan-Oct total primary output to 14.97Mt, up 8.94% y-o-y. October’s production equates to an annual rate of 17.56Mt, the lowest level since May this year.
Power shortages have continued over the past couple of months, and seemed to have spread to more regions. Production cuts have occurred at smelters in Guangxi, Yunnan, Hunan and Hubei due to power rationing.
Nonetheless, domestic production is expected to stop falling and to increase in the last two months of the year on improvement of operating rate at recently commissioned projects, which include the 170kt/y one brought on line by Gansu Dongxing Aluminium Co in mid-September and the 192 reduction pots by Chinalco Liancheng Branch in October and November.
