The global primary aluminum market recorded a 655,000mt deficit in January-May 2021, following a surplus of 1.17mn mt for 2020, according to the World Bureau of Metal Statistics (WBMS). In May, the world’s primary aluminum output stood at 5.80mn mt while demand was measured at 6.06mn mt.
Production volumes for January-May2021 were not disclosed by the Bureau, however, it was estimated that global aluminum output within the period rose by 5.5pc compared to the same timeframe last year. The calculated demand for primary aluminum for the period was 29.29mn mt, 9.4pc more than in 2020.
China accounted for 57pc of global production, with an estimated volume of 16.34mn mt. Demand in China rose by 15pc within the period on an annual basis. Production in the EU for January-May fell 6.7pc in comparison to the same period last year while demand increased by 11,700mt when compared to the 2020 period.