Gulf aluminium output falls 35% y-o-y as Middle East crisis disrupts smelters

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Primary aluminium production in the Gulf dropped to its weakest level in more than a decade in April as the ongoing Iran war disrupted smelter operations and raw material supplies across the region, according to preliminary data released by the International Aluminium Institute (IAI) on Wednesday.

The Gulf produced 330,000 tonnes of primary aluminium in April, marking a 35 per cent decline from the same month in 2025, the IAI said. The sharp fall highlights the growing pressure on aluminium producers in the region as the conflict continues to affect logistics and supply chains.

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The Gulf accounts for around 8 per cent of global primary aluminium production, while also serving as a major supplier to key international markets, including Japan and the United States. The region supplies approximately 28 per cent of Japan’s aluminium imports and 21 per cent of imports into the US.

“What we are seeing in April’s numbers is probably not the floor, it is a further deterioration that brings Gulf output to levels not seen in over a decade,” said Jonathan Grant.

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Grant said smelters in the Gulf are struggling to replenish raw material inventories because shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have been disrupted by the conflict. Producers are now attempting to secure alternative land transport routes in an effort to maintain operations.

The disruption in Gulf production also weighed on global aluminium output. Worldwide primary aluminium production fell 2.1 per cent year on year to 5.92 million tonnes in April, according to the IAI data.

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China, however, continued to expand output during the period. Estimated Chinese primary aluminium production rose 1.5 per cent year on year to 3.68 million tonnes in April, partially offsetting declines in other regions.