Qatar’s aluminium export expected to be on the rise despite diplomatic tensions

<p>Due to the major expansion of existing smelters and commissioning of new projects that primary aluminium production is increasing at a faster rate in the GCC countries. Qatar, a peninsular Arab country whose terrain comprises arid desert and a long Persian (Arab) Gulf shoreline of beaches and dunes is growing its aluminium capacity to be a net exporter of aluminium and aluminium products.</p> <p>Qatalum or Qatar Aluminium is the sole aluminium producer in the country that exports its aluminium products globally. Qatalum is a JV between Qatar Petroleum and Hydro Aluminium of Norway and produces about 640,000 tons of high-quality aluminium products per annum.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://www.alcircle.com/uploads/images/QATAR.jpg" alt="News" width="690" height="277" /></p> <p>As shown by our data, in the year 2015, the total aluminium export by Qatar was <strong>530,822 tons. </strong>In 2016, the estimated export jumped to <strong>571,077 </strong>tons. For 2017, the aluminium export by Qatar is estimated to be about <strong>611,104 </strong>tons.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://www.alcircle.com/uploads/images/QATAR1.jpg" alt="News" width="687" height="249" /></p> <p>The estimated value of aluminium export was USD <strong>1.2 </strong>billion and USD <strong>1.23</strong> billion respectively for 2015 and 2016. &nbsp;In the year 2017, the value of export is estimated to stand at USD <strong>1.3 </strong>billion in 2016.</p> <p>Qatalum&rsquo;s state-of-the-art cast house products are value-added extrusion ingots and foundry alloys supplied to a variety of industries including the automotive, construction, engineering and in the manufacturing of consumer goods.&nbsp; Hydro has an offtake agreement with Hydro as the only seller of Qatalum Aluminium Products. ?Approximately 75% of all foundry alloy production of Qatar goes into automotive industry. Currently Qatalum exports to 30 countries and is aggressively developing market share for its premium aluminium.?</p> <p>{googleAdsense}</p> <p>Most of Qatar's aluminium exports goes to USA (115,705 tonnes), South Korea (96,879 tonnes) and Turkey (73,496 tonnes)</p> <p>It is noteworthy that Qatar's Qatalum aluminium plant was facing outbound logistical challenges in June following a diplomatic row with neighbours in the Middle-East when Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt had severed diplomatic ties with Qatar and blocked shipments through their ports. &nbsp;Hydro, one of the joint owners of Qatalum, said that Qatar Aluminium is now exporting metals via ports in Kuwait and Oman, as well as a Qatari container port.</p>