Global aluminum production rose by 1pc in January 2020 compared to the same month one year earlier, according to the World Aluminium Association. Worldwide production last month reached 5.4mn mt, with a daily average of 175,800mt.
At 3mn mt, aluminum production in China, which produces the most aluminum in the world, remained consistent last month with both January 2019 and December 2019 outputs. The Gulf Cooperation Council, the world’s second-highest aluminum producer, reached 508,000mt in January 2020, a 10pc increase over the same month in 2019 when it produced 461,000mt, and 1 pc increase over the 506,000mt produced in December 2019.
Eastern and Central Europe produced 356,000mt of aluminum in January 2020, a 4pc increase over the 345,000mt they produced during the same month in 2019, and 1pc lower than their December 2019 output of 357,000mt. Asia, excluding China, saw a decline, producing 350,000mt in January, which is 7pc below the 373,000mt it produced in January 2019, and a 5pc decline from the 368,000mt it produced in December. North American aluminum production, at 330,000mt, rose by 2pc last month from 326,000mt in January 2019 and 324,000mt in December.
Western Europe produced close to 284,000mt of aluminum in January 2020, declining by 8pc from the 306,000mt it produced during the same month in 2019, and a 4pc decline from the 294,000mt it produced in December. Oceania’s production, which totaled 160,000mt in January, declined by 1pc from the 161,000mt it produced in both January and December 2019.
Unreported aluminum production in January 2020 was 150,000mt, unchanged from both January and December 2019. Africa produced nearly 136,000mt of aluminum in January, declining by 3pc from January 2019, when it produced 140,000mt, and December’s output of 139,000mt. South American recorded the lowest aluminum production in January 2020 at 97,000mt, which is 16pc below January 2019, but a pc increase over December 2019.