China semis exports still down; aluminium alloy wheel exports grew 21% YoY in Feb

China aluminium semis exports shrunk in February and the trend is expected to continue in March as well. General Customs data showed that the country exported 260,000 metric tons of semis, which is down 34.1 per cent year-on-year and down from January’s total of 330,000 metric tons.

The SHFE/LME aluminium price ratio, which rose above 7.6 in the month of March, is expected to continue to limit the export of semis.

Chinese traders that spoke to SMM expect to cut exports due to the less-than-favorable price ratio. The unfavorability has yet to affect the larger aluminium processors, as they tend to operate on long-term contracts.

Aluminium alloy wheel

China’s aluminium alloy wheel exports grew markedly in February in both volume and value.

The country exported 55,500 tonnes of aluminium alloy wheel in February, or $282 million, up 20.7 per cent and 24.8 per cent, respectively, from a year ago, according to the Wheel Committee of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).

The US was the top export destination –55.05 per cent of China’s total export value, during the January-February period, followed by Japan and Mexico.