Industry News

Latest data released by the General Administration of Customs on July 18 showed that China imported 20.32 million tons of aluminium ores and concentrates in June, a year-on-year increase of 12.6%. The cumulative import volume for January-June stood at 120.93 million tons, up 17.4% year on year.

For the majority of the past decade, the aluminum industry landscape in Central Asia has remained largely static: Kazakhstan's ERG industrial cluster efficiently produces and exports to the European market, TALCO sells widely but below its capacity ceiling, and the rest of the region consumes the products produced by neighboring countries.

On Wednesday, May 20, the International Aluminium Institute (IAI) reported that primary aluminum production in the Gulf region fell to its lowest level in over a decade in April due to the impact of the Iran conflict on regional smelters.

Electrolytic Aluminum Sino-US talks last week sent positive signals, coupled with supply disruptions for copper, zinc and other metals, boosting sentiment across the non-ferrous sector. However, solid US employment and economic data together with inflation pressures rule out interest rate cuts within the year and raise domestic rate hike expectations, cooling market sentiment again.

The aluminum processing PMI in April dropped to 53.9%. The industry has shifted from a comprehensive recovery to a structural differentiation. The overall PMI for the domestic aluminum processing industry stood at 53.9% in April, still above the boom-bust line but significantly lower than the peak in March.

The comprehensive PMI for the domestic aluminum processing industry in April was recorded at 53.9%, although still above the critical level, it significantly declined compared to the peak in March. The overall industry prosperity marginally weakened, shifting from comprehensive recovery to structural differentiation.