Brazil Aluminum Production Down 6.2% In First Half 2009

RIO DE JANEIRO -(Dow Jones)- Brazilian aluminum output fell in the first six months of 2009, the Brazilian Aluminum Association, or ABAL, said in a statement Monday. For the period from January to June, Brazil's aluminum production fell 6.2% from a year earlier to 770,700 metric tons, ABAL said. Brazil's June aluminum production fell 9.3% from the same month last year to 126,100 metric tons, according to ABAL. The largest producer in June was CBA, with 39,000 tons, followed by Albras, a subsidiary of mining giant Vale SA (VALE), with 37,800 tons, and Alcoa (AA), which produced 26,800 tons. BHP Billiton (BHP) output was 14,300 tons, while Novelis produced 8,200 tons. Valesul, another subsidiary of Vale, produced no aluminum at all in June, compared to 7,700 tons in June 2008. Earlier this year, Vale 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 2.1% rise in June and a 1.1% rise for the first half of 2009, while Albras showed no change from last year, and Alcoa was down 12.3% in the first half. source:www.nasdaq.com