China falls, Turkey rises: aluminium bars and rods exports reshape global trade

The global trade in aluminium bars and rods profiles during the first half of 2025 painted a picture of divergence, with some exporters expanding their reach while others struggled under regulatory and market pressures.

China, still the largest player, endured the steepest fall. Its export volume slipped 21.09 per cent, dropping from 520,144.8 tonnes in H1 2024 to 410,485 tonnes in H1 2025. The financial blow was even harder, as net trade value fell by 27.4 per cent — from USD 1.8 billion to USD1.328 billion.

Germany too found itself weighed down by weaker flows. Exports through May 2025 came to 107,240.4 tonnes, from 134,596.5 tonnes shipped in May 2024, a contraction of 20.29 per cent. The country’s export revenues followed the same path, tumbling 15.6 per cent from USD 932 million in H1 2024 to USD 787 million in H1 2025.

Spain, while not immune to volume declines, managed to squeeze more value out of its shipments. Its exports eased by 9.94 per cent, from 144,865.7 tonnes to 130,393.78 tonnes, but net trade value inched upward by 3.1 per cent, rising from USD 673 million to USD 694 million.