Primary aluminum consumption rose 6% during Q1 2013

MOSCOW (Scrap Monster) : The global aluminum producer Rusal said Thursday that the global primary aluminum consumption rose by 6% during the first quarter of the year. According to Rusal statistics, the aluminum consumption during the quarter amounted to 12 million metric tons.

The Chinese demand for aluminum registered robust 11% growth, mainly aided by the increased demand from the automotive sector. The country witnessed shut down of a large number of loss making aluminum smelters, due to overcapacity issues. The aluminum production by the country was reduced by 780,000 metric tons during the quarter. New production facilities totaling to an output of nearly 810,000 metric tons were commissioned during the quarter.

The aluminum demand remained flat in Europe during the quarter, primarily owing to weakening car sales and muted construction activity in the region.

The Turkish quarterly demand for aluminum rose by 8.5% year-on-year, automotive and construction sectors contributing the most. The aluminum consumption in Turkey during the quarter rose by 18,000 metric tons.

The consumption of aluminum in Southeast Asia saw an increase of 9%.India and North America witnessed a growth of 7.4% and 2.1% respectively. The aluminum consumption in Japan during the quarter fell by 8%, Rusal says.

The Rusal forecast for the year suggests that the global aluminum demand is expected to grow at the same pace during the rest of the year also. The projected aluminum consumption for the whole year 2013 is expected to surpass 50 million metric tons, up 6% year-on-year.