China May aluminium production climbs on export demand

BEIJING: China’s production of aluminium rose 1.7 percent in May from a year earlier to mark a ninth month of gains helped by elevated overseas prices, though prices have eased this month and could drop further after Washington and Tehran signed a ceasefire agreement.

China’s aluminium output climbed to 3.89 million metric tons in May, data from the National Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday showed. For the first five months of the year, output grew 3.5 percent to 19.22 million metric tons.

In May, there remained much uncertainty over a US-Iran peace deal. The Strait of Hormuz is a key waterway for the Gulf’s aluminium manufacturing industry which accounted for 8 percent of the world’s output before the conflict began in late February.

The price of benchmark three-month aluminium gained for a third consecutive month in May, rising 5.5 percent. But it has eased 8.6 percent in June thus far.

Preliminary customs data also showed that China’s exports of unwrought aluminium and products surged 5.7 percent in May and more than 10 percent in the first five months of 2026.

China’s exports of aluminium stranded wire, normally used in power transmission and distribution, have also been strong due to the Iran war-driven price rally and tax advantages over exports of aluminium ingots.

China’s production of ten nonferrous metals - including copper, aluminium, lead, zinc and nickel – rose 2.2 percent to 6.98 million metric tons from a year earlier. Year-to-date output was up 3.1 percent at 34.38 million metric tons.