Aluminum imports from China in August fell 19% from the previous year

BEIJING, Sept. 18 – China’s aluminum imports in August fell 19% from a year earlier, according to customs data released Sunday, reflecting lower appetite for overseas purchases amid record domestic production and little overseas supply.

China imported 200,440 tons of raw aluminum and products, including primary metals and unwrought aluminum alloys, in August, according to data from the General Administration of Customs.

The decline in imports is attributed to a decline in concerns about domestic supply due to increased production and the easing of energy restrictions that limited production and increased demand for imported materials.

China, the world’s largest producer and consumer of light metal, produced 3.51 million tons of aluminum in August, a record for one month.

This contrasts with increasing cutbacks by European aluminum producers, where high energy costs have made production of the electricity-intensive metal unprofitable.

Imports in the first eight months of the year totaled 1.48 million tons, down 27% from the same period the previous year.

Bauxite imports were 10.75 million tons last month, up 24.2 percent from July’s 10.59 million tons, and sharply up from 8.7 million in August a year earlier, according to the data.