World primary aluminium production in June 2021 stood at 5.549 million tonnes, bringing the total output during the second quarter of the year to 16.842 million tonnes, found the International Aluminium Institute. Production in June reflected a month-on-month decrease of 3.50 per cent from 5.750 million tonnes, while the output in Q2 edged a quarter-on-quarter increase of 1.12 per cent from 16.655 million tonnes.

On a year-on-year calculation, world primary aluminium production in June stood up by 4.54 per cent from 5.308 million tonnes, while the production in Q2 grew 5.13 per cent from 16.020 million tonnes.

In China, primary aluminium production in June came in at 3.245 million tonnes, down by 3.13 per cent from 3.350 million tonnes in May but up 7.17 per cent from 3.028 million tonnes in June 2020. Total production during April-June 2021 stood at 9.811 million tonnes – 1.66 per cent more than 9.651 million tonnes in Q1, which ended on March 31, 2021. On a year-on-year basis, China’s primary aluminium production in Q2 increased by 8 per cent from 9.089 million tonnes.

In the GCC countries, primary aluminium production in June 2021 stood at 472,000 tonnes, down by 4.45 per cent month-on-month from 494,000 tonnes but almost flat on a year compared to 474,000 tonnes. In Q2 2021, total primary aluminium production in the GCC countries came in at 1.442 million tonnes, flat Q-o-Q compared to 1.441 million tonnes and down 0.55 per cent year-on-year from 1.450 million tonnes.

In June, Asia (ex-China) produced 370,000 tonnes of primary aluminium, which reflected a downfall of 9,000 tonnes or 2.37 per cent from 379,000 tonnes in May 2021. On a year-on-year calculation, aluminium output in Asia in June 2021 stood 9.79 per cent higher than 337,000 tonnes. During the second quarter of the year, Asia churned out 1.115 million tonnes of primary aluminium in total, which was 10.18 per cent less than 1.012 million tonnes.