In 2021, my country's aluminum industry continued to deepen supply-side structural reforms, strictly control the new production capacity of electrolytic aluminum, strictly implement capacity replacement, accelerate the optimization and adjustment of industrial layout, and the industry is in good operation and the benefits are significantly improved.
1. Steady growth in output. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, in 2021, the output of alumina, electrolytic aluminum, and aluminum materials were 77.48 million tons, 38.5 million tons, and 61.05 million tons, respectively, up 5%, 4.8%, and 7.4% year-on-year, and an average growth of 3.4%, 4.8%, and 7.8% over the past two years.
2. Inventory fluctuates within a normal range. According to statistics from industry analysis agencies, the social inventory of aluminum ingots at the end of December was 810,000 tons, an increase of 36% over the same period last year, and fluctuated within a normal range.
3. Prices continued to run high. According to statistics from the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association, in 2021, aluminum prices continued to run high, with the average spot price for the whole year being 18,946 yuan/ton, up 33.5% year-on-year.
4. Imports of unwrought aluminum increased significantly. According to data from the General Administration of Customs, in 2021, bauxite and alumina (physical volume) were imported at 107.37 million tons and 3.33 million tons, respectively, down 3.8% and 12.6% year-on-year; aluminum scrap imports were 1.03 million tons, up 24.9% year-on-year; unwrought aluminum imports were 2.73 million tons, up 19% year-on-year. In 2021, aluminum exports were 5.46 million tons, up 17.9% year-on-year.