Primary aluminum production across the world rose by 4.2pc to 5.67mn mt in December 2020, from 5.43mn mt in the same prior-year month, according to the International Aluminum Institute.
The output from China continued to grow in December, up 7pc, to 3.28mn mt against 3.04mn mt in December 2019. Production in the rest of Asia fell by 1.3pc to 363,000mt from 368,000mt in the same period under comparison.
North America’s primary aluminum output increased by 4.3pc to 338,000mt in December 2020 compared with 324,000mt in the same time frame of the previous year. Meanwhile, South American volumes fell by 3.2pc to 93,000mt last month, compared to 96,000mt in December 2019.
December production in West Europe declined by 4.6pc to 281,000mt over 294,000mt in December 2019. In East and Central Europe as well, output fell by 1.4pc to 352,000mt compared with 357,000mt in the same month under comparison.
Primary aluminum production in the Middle East declined by 2.2pc to 495,000mt in November from 506,000mt in the same month of 2019. Africa’s output was short by 2.9pc at 135,000mt over 139,000mt while volumes from Oceania rose by 1.2pc to 163,000mt during the same period. Estimated aluminum production in the rest of the world rose by 13pc to 170,000mt last month, compared with December 2019.