China's aluminium semi-finished product imports shrink while exports surge 5.3% YoY in Jan 2017

China's aluminium semi-finished products imports declined in January 2017, revealed data released by the General Administration of Customs, China, on February 24. The import volume totalled 26,740 tonnes, down 26.2 per cent from January 2016. Total aluminium alloy import also shrunk totalling 4,098 tonnes, down 28.17 per cent from the same period of previous year. Exports, on the other hand, surged for both aluminium semi-finished and finished products. Aluminium semi-finished product exports for January 2017 were up by 5.3 per cent, while finished products shipments ballooned by 21.87 per cent. Aluminium alloy exports for the month, however, have come down by 5.82 per cent year-on-year.

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Total import of aluminium bar rods and profiles by China in January this year totalled 3,795 tonnes, down 33.21 per cent YoY; aluminium wire imports grew by 55.94 per cent YoY to reach 905 tonnes; aluminium plate sheet and strips import was again down by 29.02 per cent YoY at 17,329 tonnes; aluminium foil imports dropped by 20.63 per cent to total 3,654 tonnes; and import of aluminium tube (including accessories) surged 12.92 per cent YoY to reach 932 tonnes in January 2017.

China's purchase of aluminium structure and components from the global sellers increased by 45.27 per cent to total at 465 tonnes while that of aluminium stranded wire, cable shrunk significantly (-51.86 per cent) from the same period previous year to stand at only 4 tonnes in January 2017.

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Looking at exports, volumes grew as per expectation across aluminium semi-finished, finished, and alloy product categories in China. Total import of aluminium semi-finished products reached 350,000 tonnes in January 2017, with aluminium wire reaching 2,056 tonnes(+3.68 per cent YoY), aluminium plate, sheet, and strips totalling 142,445 tonnes (+5.84 per cent YoY), aluminium foil totalling 99,336 tonnes (+23.6 per cent YoY), and aluminium tube (including accessories) reaching 12,212 tonnes (+12.22 per cent YoY). Only aluminium bar, rod, and profiles import dropped by 11 per cent YoY to total 89,423 tonnes in the period under review.

In January 2017, China shipped 81,437 tonnes of aluminium structure and components, up 21.87 per cent from the corresponding period previous year, and 25,450 tonnes of aluminium stranded wire, cable, up 54.67 per cent from the same period previous year.

China's total aluminium alloy import totalled 42,678 tonnes last month. Japan with an aluminium alloy import volume of 26,851 tonnes topped the list of importing countries. The Asian country was followed by Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan (China), and Australia. India's import of aluminium alloy from China declined by 78.01 per cent YoY and totalled at 178 tonnes in January 2017.