Following China’s restrictions on scrap imports, Indian manufacturers have seized the opportunity to export aluminium alloys, brass and copper billets to China.
Davis Index analysed export data till Jan 2020, and Indian aluminium alloy exports have surged by 495.66pc, brass exports climbed by 1,494.01pc and copper billet exports were up 3,204pc in the Jan 2019-Jan 2020 period, over the prior year.
Aluminium alloy exports
India exported 73,058mt of aluminium alloys between Jan 2019 and Jan 2020, up by 495.66pc from 12,265mt in Jan 2018 to Jan 2019.
Aluminium alloy exports consist mostly of ADC 12. As Chinese exports of ADC 12 reduced, Indian exports to South Korea, among other countries, surged.
China’s restrictions on aluminium scrap imports have been in place since July 2019.
India exported 20,160mt (27.59pc), its highest volume of aluminium alloys to Korea, up by 679.88pc from 2,585mt in the earlier period.
Exports to China were at 18,813mt (25.75pc), up by 18,903.03pc from 99mt the previous year.
India exported 10,323mt(14.13pc) to Mexico in the Jan 2019-Jan 2020 period, up by 883.14pc from 1,050mt in Jan 2018-2019.
India exported 7,179mt of aluminium alloys in October 2019; 9,406mt in November 2019; 9,318 in December 2019; and 8,351mt in Jan 2020.
Of the total exports in these four months – October 2019 to Jan 2020 – India exported 1,740mt of aluminium alloys to China in Oct’ 4,054mt in Nov; 6,205mt in December; and 6,466mt in Jan 2020.
Brass billets and ingots
India exported 6,121mt of brass billets and ingots in Jan 2019 to Jan 2020, up by 1,494.01pc from 384mt in Jan 2018 to 2019.
Indian brass exports picked up after China imposed restrictions on the import of low-grade copper scrap since July 2019.
India exported 1,020mt of brass alloys in November 2019; 1,844mt in December 2019, and 2,252mt in Jan 2020.
Of the total exports in these three months, India exported 1,016mt of brass alloys to China in Nov 2019; 1,816mt in December 2019, and 2,226mt in Jan 2020.
Out of the total exports in Jan 2019 to Jan 2020 period, India exported its largest volume, i.e. 5,974mt (97.60pc), to China, up by 1,945.89pc from 292mt in the prior year period.
India exported 72mt (1.18pc) to the US, up by 148.27pc from 29mt in the prior year period.
India exported 27mt to Tawain in Jan 2019 to Jan 2020. No exports were reported to Taiwan in the prior year period.
India’s brass billet and ingot exports to Indonesia remained unchanged at 18mt in Jan 2019 to Jan 2020 from the prior year.
The export data showed that in Dec 2019 India exported 127mt of brass billets and ingots to China.
Copper alloys
India exported 7,434mt of refined copper billets in Jan 2019-Jan 2020, up by 3,204pc from 225mt in the Jan 2018-2019 period.
Of the total refined copper billet exports, 7,086mt (95.32pc) were exported to China alone; 280mt to France, up from 205mt in the prior year period; and 44mt to Iran, up from 20mt in prior year period
India exported 820mt of refined unwrought copper in Jan 2019-Jan 2020, up from 31mt in Jan 2018-2019 period.
Of the total exports, India exported 797mt (97.20pc) to China; 17mt to Nepal, down from 18mt in the prior year period; and 5mt to Bangladesh.