South Africa’s aluminium exports to be valued at US$ US$1.37 billion in 2017

South Africa's manufacturing sector has logged a moderate to slow growth over the last three years. One of the two major smelters in the country- Bayside Aluminium operated by South32, erstwhile BHP Billiton, shut down in 2015. The other smelter, Hillside Aluminium in Richards Bay, has been single-handedly churning out the primary metal for domestic market as well as shipping ingots to the international buyers

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In 2015, South Africa exported 484559.76 tonnes of aluminium (alloyed and non-alloyed ingots), which increased to reach 537002.69 tonnes in 2016, up 10.8 per cent from the previous year. In 2017 till October, the country is estimated to ship around 404435.74 tonnes of aluminium to the global market, down 11.7 per cent from the corresponding period previous year.

South Africa's earnings from aluminium export have also logged an impressive growth, a trend which indicates at the growing demand of aluminium produced in the country. South Africa exported aluminium worth US$969.4 million in 2015, which grew 46.5 per cent year-on-year to reach US$1.42 billion in 2016. In 2017 till October, the country is estimated to export aluminium valued at US$1.37 billion, up 19 per cent from the corresponding period previous year.

The top countries that imported aluminium from South Africa in 2016 were Germany (18211.81 tonnes), Hong Kong (19521.18 tonnes), Japan (91384.7 tonnes), Austria (2381.93 tonnes), Belgium (4880.86 tonnes), and France (6630.60 tonnes).

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Aluminium is an important part of South Africa’s industrial landscape. The outputs of the aluminium value chain feed a wide variety of industrial inputs to the full spectrum of South Africa’s industrial manufacturing base (packaging, transport, construction and energy).

South32-controlled Hillside Aluminium Smelter produces high-quality primary aluminium ingot for the export market and supplies approximately 15 per cent of production to Isizinda Aluminium which in turn supplies aluminium slab to Hulamin, a leading aluminium semi-fabricator in the regional market.