India’s estimated alumina imports from Australia and Vietnam grow YoY in 2018

According to the global export-import data, India’s estimated aluminium imports from Australia and Vietnam in 2018 grew year-on-year in tandem with the rise of the country’s total alumina imports. In 2017, India had imported 1.50 million tonnes of alumina from Australia and 339,459 tonnes from Vietnam, which in 2018 increased to 1.64 million tonnes and 697,770 tonnes respectively. This marks a growth of 9.3 per cent in India’s alumina imports from Australia and 106 per cent from Vietnam. In 2016, on the other hand, India’s alumina imports from Australia had pegged at 1.01 million tonnes and from Vietnam 174,779 tonnes. This indicates India’s alumina imports from Australia and Vietnam grew 49 per cent and 94 per cent respectively in 2017.

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According to a report from Indian Mirror, India ranks fourth in the world in terms of primary aluminium production. India is among the lowest cost producers of aluminium in the world, owing to the easy availability of raw materials and comparatively low labour costs. The addition of new aluminium capacities is not only driving the primary production but also bolstering alumina purchase from all around the world.

The report also says aluminium consumption in India is poised to grow from 3.3 million tonnes in 2015-16 to 5.3 million tonnes in 2020-21 riding on a host of government initiatives like, Make in India, Smart Cities, Housing for all, rural electrification, and freight corridors.

Some of the major players in the aluminium production in India are Hindalco, Nalco, Bharat Aluminium Company, Jindal Aluminium and many more. These companies use domestic alumina as well as import.

In 2019, according to our available data, India is expected to import 2.98 million tonnes of alumina, further up 8.36 per cent year-on-year.