ING’s Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey highlight a softening Aluminium supply picture. Global primary output fell in June on both monthly and yearly bases, even as first-half production stayed broadly stable. China’s output dipped month-on-month but remains higher year-to-date, while Europe, Asia ex‑China and Gulf producers all saw declines, with Gulf weakness linked to Iran-related disruptions.

Global production slips across regions

"The latest data from the International Aluminium Institute (IAI) showed global primary aluminium production fell 2.9% month-on-month and 1.5% year-on-year to 5.98mt in June, although first-half output remained broadly stable at 36.4mt."

"China’s aluminium production declined 3.2% month-on-month to 3.7mt in June, but year-to-date output was still 2.2% higher year-on-year at 22.3mt."

"Production, meanwhile, weakened across most other major regions. Output in Europe (including Russia) fell 1.7% month-on-month, while Asia ex-China saw a 2.9% decline. Gulf production dropped to 332kt, down 34.5% year-on-year, reflecting the impact of disruptions linked to the Iran conflict."

(This article was created with the help of an Artificial Intelligence tool and reviewed by an editor. Know more.)