Primary aluminum market reports deficit in January - April 2015

The latest report, published by the World Bureau of Metals Statistics (WBMS), shows that the global primary aluminum market recorded a deficit during the first four months of this year. According to the report, the market experienced a deficit of 283 thousand tonnes of aluminum, compared with a deficit of 723 thousand tonnes recorded throughout 2014.

Primary aluminum production increased by 2,630,000 tons in the four months from January to April this year. It is reported that the availability of the total stock of metal continued to decline, falling by 79 thousand tons in April alone. Aluminum reserves at the end of the first four months of 2015 amounted to 4,728 thousand tons. It should be noted that the level of aluminum reserves at the end of 2014 was 5020 thousand tons. The combined shares at the auctions held on the exchanges in London, Shanghai, USA and Tokyo amounted to 4,097 thousand tons at the end of April.

Global primary aluminum production increased by 16.4 percent between January and April 2015. During the first four months of this year, China accounted for nearly 54 percent of the world's 10.099 million tonnes. Aluminum output in the European Union region rose 3.2 percent, while NAFTA output declined 3.6 percent year on year. Primary aluminum production in February amounted to 4745.7 thousand tons, while consumption amounted to 5087.2 thousand tons. During the first four months of 2015, China's net aluminum exports reached 142 thousand tons.

A report from the World Bureau of Metals Statistics also says that global demand for aluminum increased by 15.8 percent between January and April this year compared to the corresponding period last year and totaled 18.98 million tons. The demand for aluminum in China was higher than the world and increased by almost 33 percent compared to 2014. On the other hand, the countries of the EU-28 region reduced the demand for aluminum by 69 thousand tons compared to the previous year.