Alcan sees broadly balanced aluminium market in 2007

Canadian producer Alcan's assessment of the outlook for the global aluminium market for next year is one of broad balance.

Noting that it has still to make a formal estimate for next year, it said in its Q3 earnings release that it "expects tight market conditions to persist with any surplus or deficit unlikely to exceed about 200,000t."

For this year the company forecasts the market to record a production-consumption deficit of around 300,000t, compared with a balanced market last year.

The deficit will be a function of the combination of a 6.7% year-on-year increase in world consumption and a slower 5.7% increase in world supply.