Chinese alumina import doubles in April

It is reported that China has imported 650,000 tonnes of alumina in April soaring 140%MoM the highest monthly import from 660,000 tonnes last January. The consecutive import for the first four months declined 2.91%YoY to 1.67 million tonnes. An analyst said "Apparently, this is the result from restarting electrolytic aluminum production in Mar." Bolstered by warming aluminum price at home, China's electrolytic aluminum enterprises rush to resume production from this February and meet the hot season during March to May. It is learned that, 700,000 tonnes of capacity has been resumed in Henan strongly dragging alumina import up. Mr Wen Xianjun vice chairman of China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association said the output resumption has also shored alumina price up. After bottoming out this February alumina price moves upward. Meanwhile, Chalco has lifted alumina quotation twice by now, one on January 19th and another on April 1st to CNY 2300 per tonne from CNY 2000 per tonne. Buoyed up by aluminum price rebound which is firmer at home than at abroad, the import of unwrought aluminum and rolled aluminum hit 439,902 tonnes in April almost double of that in March. Its first four-month import totaled 703,545 tonnes spurting 118%YoY. In the same period, only 5,868 tonnes of unwrought aluminum has been shipped out, slipping further from volume in March. The total export from January to April plunged by 80.65%YoY to 42,857 tonnes. source：steelguru.com