Growing aluminium scrap consumption in China leads to a 5-year high import – Is this mirroring the US journey from primary to scrap?

For years, aluminium strength was measured in smelters and megawatts. Primary metal sat at the heart of industrial growth, and power determined who could scale and who could not. That formula is starting to lose its hold. In both China and the United States - the world’s two largest aluminium markets, the focus is shifting away from energy-intensive primary production and toward a material once treated as secondary material in literal sense: aluminium scrap.

The US has already taken a decisive step in that direction. China has been found to be increasing its secondary aluminium consumption and hence its imports to a great extent – but the question remains whether the country is shifting its focus from primary aluminium to secondary metal.

China’s aluminium consumption profile provides the first clue. The country’s primary aluminium consumption stands at around 41 million tonnes, and the secondary aluminium consumption though small but, is steadily gaining ground. China’s secondary aluminium consumption rose from 12.70 million tonnes in 2024 to 13.35 million tonnes in 2025, marking a 5.1 per cent year-on-year increase. This surge in secondary consumption has been accompanied by a marked rise in scrap usage and increase in imports.To know more about the global primary aluminium industry 2026 outlook, book the report “Global ALuminium Industry Outlook 2026."

China’s story of scrap