Brazil's May Aluminum Production Down 7.7% To 129,100 Tons

RIO DE JANEIRO -(Dow Jones)- Brazilian aluminum output fell in May as global demand faltered, the Brazilian Aluminum Association, or ABAL, said in a statement Tuesday. Brazil's May aluminum production fell 7.7% from a year earlier to 129,100 metric tons, ABAL said. In the January through May period, Brazil's aluminum output was 644,600 tons, 5.6% lower than the same period in 2008, ABAL said. The largest producer in May was CBA, with 40,200 tons, followed by Albras, a subsidiary of mining giant Vale SA (VALE), with 38,700 tons, and Alcoa (AA), which produced 27,300 tons. BHP Billiton (BHP) output was 14,600 tons, while Novelis produced 8,300 tons. Valesul, another subsidiary of Vale, produced no aluminum at all in May, compared to 7,500 tons in May 2008. Vale has said high Brazilian energy costs did not make production worthwhile at the Rio de Janeiro plant site. However, there were some timid signs of recovery. Of the three major producers, sector-leader CBA showed a 2.3% rise in May output compared to the year-ago figure, while Albras was down 0.8%, and Alcoa was off 13%.