China's aluminum imports drop in June, H1

Shanghai.  July  22.  INTERFAX-CHINA  -  China  imported  60,375 tons of
primary  aluminum  in  the  first  six months of this year, dipping 6.44
percent  from  the  same  period  last year, while imports in June alone
tumbled by 89.56 percent from May to 1,076 tons, according to statistics
released by the General Administration of Customs on July 22.

China's  primary  aluminum exports came to 35,733 tons in the January to
June period  this year, plummeting by 65.06 percent when compared to the
volume exported  in  the  same  period last year, while primary aluminum
exports  in  June alone jumped 139.43 percent from the previous month to
9,630 tons.

Alumina  imports  in  the six-month period dropped by 9.98 percent year-
on-year  to  2.39  million  tons,  while alumina imports in June were up
68.88 percent on a monthly basis to 424,200 tons.

The below  tables  show China's aluminum and alumina imports and exports
for June and the first six months of 2008.

China's aluminum and alumina imports, June and H1 2008

Item        Country and   Imports,   M-o-m change Imports, Jan-Y-o-y change
region      June 2008       (%)       Jun 2008        (%)
(tons)                    (tons)
Primary        Total        1,076       -89.56       60,375        -6.44
aluminum
Australia       795        -34.84        9,643       -44.72
DPRK          178        -70.87        3,420        -9.27
Taiwan         44           N/A          362        -61.53
Guinea         24           N/A          96          9.99
UAE          21           N/A          129         -49.6
Aluminum       Total       11,678       -12.89       75,475        -8.77
alloy
Taiwan        3,534        0.03        24,836        -4.34
China        1,878       -34.59       13,547        -4.5
(repurchased
)
United Arab     1,451       -19.30       11,273       -34.17
Emirates
United        1,005         N/A         4,610        34.12
States
Aluminum       Total       51,964         N/A        332,115       -2.5
product
Scrap          Total       155,943      -16.60      1,061,310       6.7
aluminum
Spain       73,749       -16.81       379,954       96.6
United       28,764       830.87       196,331       16.54
States
Australia     16,835       -19.29       162,637       83.15
Philippines    10,223       -31.77       45,863       -66.47
Malaysia       8,806       -23.57       38,374       -66.71
Netherlands     4,244       -20.32       73,955       -20.28
Alumina        Total       424,200       68.88      2,391,992      -9.98
Australia     353,998       58.07      2,022,929      -6.18
India       61,243       152.13       343,266       -6.46
Guinea        3,218         N/A         3,218         N/A
Bauxite        Total      2,483,418      12.99     13,449,156      34.11
Indonesia    1,935,534      24.92      8,256,547      15.67
Australia     362,711      131.47      2,065,332     201.36
India       184,632      -62.21      3,103,796      50.88
Japan         540        -64.00        9,893       -23.44
Source: General Administration of Customs
Note: Monthly  changes  were  calculated based on the GAC's June and May
figures.
China's aluminum and alumina exports, June and H1 2008
Item        Country and   Exports,   M-o-m change Exports, Jan-Y-o-y change
region        June          (%)     Jun 2008 (%)      (%)
2008(tons)
Primary        Total        9,630       139.43       35,733       -65.06
aluminum
South Korea     9,428       154.54       32,029       -38.97
Japan         101        -36.88         637        -97.78
Netherlands      99           N/A          647        533.54
Aluminum       Total       113,908       37.82       395,961      130.97
alloy
South Korea    54,349        91.39       116,148      328.25
Japan       20,093        4.65        120,919       76.5
Taiwan       10,294        16.11       26,164        98.83
Malaysia       8,976       507.72       12,388       369.26
Hong Kong      7,440       -45.93       55,667        42.02
United        4,137       167.42       13,567       3182.89
States
Indonesia      2,953        51.20       14,193       190.64
Thailand       2,222        -0.54       13,513       352.49
Scrap          Total         66         -54.79         446        -81.75
aluminum
Hong Kong       40         263.64         96          0.42
South Korea      22         -83.58         248        -88.64
Alumina        Total        6,823       -23.24       24,803        50.34
DPRK         3,101       -60.39       16,796        20.88
Indonesia       831        295.71        1,442      11163.75
Malaysia        802          N/A          940        8727.29
Aluminum       Total       170,000        N/A        960,000       -5.7
product
Source: General Administration of Customs
Note: Monthly  changes  were  calculated based on the GAC's June and May
figures.
-GD

Source: INTERFAX-CHINA