China¡¯s aluminium semis export drops in Feb; SMM says exports will ¡°barely rise further¡±

China's export of aluminium semi-finished products in February 2017 declined 10.30 per cent from the corresponding period in 2015, showed data published by the General Administration of Customs on March 23. Aluminium semis exported by the country last month totalled 230,000 tonnes while for January-February 2017, the cumulative volume stood at 580,000 tonnes.

China sold 29,525 tonnes of aluminium bars, rods, and profiles to offshore customers in February, down 58.81 per cent from the same period previous year. In January-February 2017, the export totalled 118,948 tonnes. Aluminium wire and aluminium tube (including accessories) export volume for February also dropped by -30.67 per cent and -15.18 year-on-year to stand at 955 tonnes and 6,258 tonnes respectively. Aluminium plate, sheet, and strip exports and aluminium foil exports from China only experienced surges by 13.11 per cent and 4.6 per cent YoY to reach 118,393 tonnes and 75,298 tonnes respectively in February 2017.

On the import side, volume surge was reported across aluminium semis and finished product categories in February and January-February combined in 2017. Growing demand for the products in China domestic market saw overall import of aluminium semi-finished products rising 36.50 per cent YoY to reach 31,452 tonnes in February. In the first two months of the current year, the cumulative volume of import was estimated at 58,192 tonnes.

China imported 3,782 tonnes of aluminium bar, rod, and profiles in February (+0.89% YoY) and 7,577 tonnes in January-February 2017. The country's February import of aluminium wire, Aluminium plates, sheets, and strips, aluminium foil, and aluminium tubes (including accessories) also increased by 16.11 per cent, 51.19 per cent, 20.20 per cent and 42.98 per cent YoY to total 864 tonnes, 21,403 tonnes, 4,481 tonnes and 858 tonnes respectively in February 2017.

China's import volumes of aluminium wire, aluminium plate, sheet, and strip, aluminium foil, and aluminium tube (including accessories) for January-February 2017 were estimated at 1,769 tonnes, 38,732 tonnes, 8,135 tonnes, and 1,790 tonnes respectively.

In the ongoing SMM 2017 Copper & Aluminum Summit, SMM reported that China’s aluminium semis exports will "barely increase further." Aluminium semis exports from the country totalled 29.42 million tonnes during 2006-2016, growing at 12.65 per cent annually. The proportion of annual exports in total output was within 10 per cent, but the overall volume has been on the rise.

Aluminium semis exports though down on a year-on-year basis reached 4.08 million tonnes in 2016.

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