China’s aluminium production hits record 3.05 million tonnes in December

China produced 3.05 million tonnes of primary aluminium in December 2018, up 8.2 percent from 2.82 million tonnes in November and up 11.3 percent from December 2017, according to data published by the country’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The total aluminium production in 2018 stood at 35.8 million tonnes up 7.4 percent from the previous annual record in 2017, the NBS data showed.

On a daily basis, the world’s top aluminium maker produced almost 98,400 tonnes of aluminium in December, up from 94,000 tonnes in November and also a record high, according to Reuters calculations.

According to consultancy AZ China, the country added 3.8 million tonnes of aluminium smelting capacity last year, while about 2.8 million tonnes was shut due to a slump in aluminium prices in H2 2018. Winter restrictions on output were also less severe than expected.

China’s production of 10 nonferrous metals - including copper, aluminium, lead, zinc and nickel - stood at 5.08 million tonnes in December, up 7.8 percent from November and up 10 percent year-on-year.