World primary aluminium production grows 3% M-o-M to 5.67MT in December 2020; Full-year production gains 2.5%

According to the latest data shared by the International Aluminium Institute, world primary aluminium production in December 2020 stood at 5.670 million tonnes, bringing the total output of the year to 65.267 million tonnes. The output in December edged 3.02 per cent higher month-on-month from 5.504 million tonnes and 4.25 per cent year-on-year from 5.439 million tonnes.

The year’s total production recorded a hike of 2.53 per cent from 63.657 million tonnes in 2019.

China, being the world’s leading primary aluminium producer, produced 3.280 million tonnes in December 2020 compared to 3.207 million tonnes in November 2020. This registers a month-on-month increase of 2.28 per cent in December 2020. On a year-on-year basis, China’s aluminium production in December stood 7.75 per cent higher than 3.044 million tonnes. China’s total primary aluminium production in 2020 came in at 37.317 million tonnes, up 4.25 per cent from 35.795 million tonnes in 2019.

In the Middle East, primary aluminium production in December 2020 stood at 495,000 tonnes, growing by 3.55 per cent from 478,000 tonnes in November. However, on a year-on-year calculation, primary aluminium production in the Middle East in December 2020 stood down by 2.17 per cent from 506,000 tonnes. Total production there in 2020 stood at 5.826 million tonnes, up by 3.04 per cent from 5.654 million tonnes in 2019.

In Asia (ex-China), primary aluminium produced in December 2020 hovered around 363,000 tonnes, 5.52 per cent less than 344,000 tonnes in November and 5.52 per cent than in December 2019. Total production in the year came in at 4.138 million tonnes, down by 5.85 per cent from 4.395 million tonnes in 2019.