Global primary aluminum production stood at 5.74mn mt in July, up by 5.2pc from 5.46mn mt in the same month last year, according to the International Aluminum Institute.
Last month, production in China rose by 7pc to 3.34mn mt compared with 3.12mn mt in July 2020. During this period, output in the rest of Asia also increased by 12pc to 384,000mt from 343,000mt.
In North America, primary aluminum production was flat at 333,000mt in July. Meanwhile, South America’s output increased by 25pc to 98,000mt from 78,000mt a year ago.
Output in East Europe and Russia was also stable at 349,000mt last month. In West and Central Europe, production slipped by 0.7pc to 279,000mt against 281,000mt a year ago. In the Middle East, output increased by 1.2pc on an annual basis to 494,000mt from 490,000mt.
Production was flat in Africa as well at 135,000mt while Oceania produced 159,000mt of primary aluminum, down 2.5pc from a year ago. Estimated unreported production in the rest of the world remained unchanged at 170,000mt in July 2021.