China to be Net Aluminium Buyer

China, the world's largest producer and consumer of aluminium, may become a net importer of the metal from 2009, Peter Finnimore, sales director of United Co Rusal, said in Shanghai at the Aluminium Processing Forum.

He also forecast that China's aluminium consumption, which currently represents approximately 25% of global annual consumption, will make up 36% by 2010, with average growth in demand of 17% per year.

China is the key driver of global aluminium demand which will grow by 3.6 per cent annually, according to the Moscow-based company.

Finnimore commented that UC Rusal has pledged to expand its presence in China, and intends to make use of its various major smelters and new projects located in southern and eastern Siberia to access the Chinese market via far-eastern Russian ports and border crossings.

UC Rusal's sole current operation in China is a cathode factory in the city of Linshi in China's Shanxi Province, acquired in April last year.

World aluminium demand is forecast to increase by 11 million tonnes by 2010 with China, Russia and India accounting for 75 per cent of the increase, and more than double with a gain of 45 million tonnes by 2030, Finnimore said in his presentation.

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