EU alumina exports overcome pre-crisis level to peak at EUR1,538 mln in 2015

According to a market report published by IndexBox Marketing, total EU alumina exports, after a long recovery period, finally overcame their pre-crisis level and peaked at 1,538 million EUR in 2015.

The major EU Member States Ireland, Germany, France, and Spain topped the list of alumina suppliers with a combined share of 78 per cent of total exports in 2015. Spain and Ireland were the fastest growing suppliers from 2007 to 2015. Alumina shipments from Spain grew at 4.9 per cent per year rate while alumina exports from Ireland grew at 1.9 per cent per year.



In value-terms the biggest transactions of alumina took place between the EU countries, but the extra-EU exports, too, contributed a major 37 per cent share of the total EU exports. In 2015, the value of extra-EU exports of alumina amounted to 567 million EUR, down 5 per cent from the same period previous year.

Alumina export from extra-EU countries comprises approximately 30 per cent of the total EU alumina output, which leads to the high sensitivity of EU alumina industry to the environment in the foreign markets. This share grew steadily over 2007-2014, but took a significant dip in 2015. The decline in extra-EU exports and their share in the total output are mainly attributable to the reduction in exports to Russia, where the stagnation in demand for alumina in the Russian aluminium industry is clearly evident now. The current political situation and the deterioration of trade relations between Russia and the EU can also be cited as a major reason behind slowing of alumina demand in the region.