China’s Sept’23 aluminium production stumbles by 2.8% M-o-M but daily output grows 554 tonnes

China’s domestic aluminium production in September 2023 was recorded at 3.523 million tonnes, marking a year-on-year increase of 5 per cent but a month-on-month fall of 2.76 per cent. However, the daily average production grew over a month by 554 tonnes to 117,400 tonnes in September 2023.

From January to September 2023, China’s cumulative aluminium production stood at 30.822 million tonnes – 3.13 per cent more Y-o-Y.

Shanghai Metals Market survey found the overall domestic primary aluminium operations were stable in September, with alloying ratios in some plants showing an upward adjustment. The proportion of liquid aluminium output grew by 0.4 per cent M-o-M and 4.9 percent Y-o-Y to around 73.2 per cent.

There was a slight rise in China’s aluminium operating capacity in September 2023, mainly due to the ongoing commissioning of capacity in Yunnan and Guizhou.

China’s installed aluminium capacity at the end of September was about 45.19 million tonnes, including capacities that have been built but not yet operational. The operating capacity rose to 42.94 million tonnes, with the national operating rate at about 95 per cent, up by 0.3 percentage points M-o-M.

Moving into October, the concentrated resumption of production has largely been completed, and larger resumptions are not expected this year. The capacity awaiting resumption is mainly in regions like Liaoning, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan, totalling around 1.29 million tonnes.

SMM predicts that by the end of October, China’s operating capacity will stand at 42.95 million tonnes, with output to reach 3.64 million tonnes, up by 6.7 per cent Y-o-Y.