Global primary aluminium production rose by 4pc in Feb 2020 from the prior-year period, according to the International Aluminium Institute. Global output was 5.1mn mt in Feb, up by 200,000mn mt from a year ago.The daily average output was 176,300mt, marginally up by 300mt.
China, the world’s largest producer of primary aluminium, produced 2.88mn mt in Feb, up by 4pc from 2.77mn mt in Feb 2019. Gulf Cooperation Council, the second-largest producer, produced 475,000mt, up by 14.2pc from 416,000mt a year ago.
Asia (excluding China) was the third-highest producer of primary aluminium in Feb 2020, with an output of 332,000mt, down by 3.8pc from 345,000mt a year ago, followed by Eastern and Central Europe, which produced 331,000mt of primary aluminium, up by 5.4pc from 314,000mt a year ago.
North America produced 314,000mt of primary aluminium in Feb, up by 6pc from 296,000mt from the prior-year period, followed by Western Europe, with an output of 263,000mt, down by 4pc from 274,000mt from a year ago.
Oceania produced 151,000mt of primary aluminium, marginally up by 2.7pc from 147,000mt in Feb 2019. Unreported aluminium production in Feb 2020 was 150,000mt, unchanged from a year ago as was Africa’s output at 127,000mt. South America recorded the lowest primary aluminium output in Feb 2020 at 90,000mt, up by 9.8pc from 82,000mt from a year ago.