China's alumina output this year would reach 13 million tons and
the earlier estimates of 14 million tons in 2010 were "obviously
too low," an industry association official has said.
Accoroding to Wen Xianjun, secretary-general of the aluminium
branch of the China Non-ferrous Metals Industry Association
(CNMIA), China's alumina output was 9.44 million tons in the first
nine months, up 57 percent from the same period last year.
Imports of alumina had dropped by 1.5 percent from a year ago
with the country's dependence on imported alumina falling from 45
to 36 percent.
The world's second largest alumina producer, China accounted for
more than 24 percent of the world's alumina consumption last
year.
Alumina is a major raw material for producing electrolytic
aluminium, accounting for more than half the cost.
The government reduced the import tariff of alumina from 5.5
percent to three percent this month to lower cost pressure on of
the electrolytic aluminium industry.
The development of the alumina industry must be in line with the
pace of the electrolytic aluminium industry, said Wen.
Both industries were characterised by high energy consumption
and serious pollution.
As the top producer of electrolytic aluminium, China saw a
general loss in the industry last year because of surplus
production capacity.
The government has taken a series of measures, including
increasing minimum capital for new projects, improving
environmental requirements and increasing export tariffs.
Association statistics show China's output of electrolytic
aluminium was 6.71 million tons in the first three quarters, up
16.8 percent from the same period last year. The growth is 1.7
percentage points lower than a year ago.
Exports of electrolytic aluminium dropped by 26.3 percent from
the first three quarters of last year to 674,000 tons.
(Xinhua News Agency November 22, 2006)