China aluminium output falls for third month

Power shortage: Workers checking aluminium products in a factory. The world’s top producer of the metal churned out 3.26 million tonnes of primary aluminium last month. — AFP

BEIJING: China’s aluminium output in July slipped for a third month, with daily average levels at the lowest since October 2020, according to official data, as continued power shortages in the south of the country kept smelter operating rates low.

The world’s top producer of the metal churned out 3.26 million tonnes of primary aluminium last month, the National Bureau of Statistics said. That was down 0.9% from June’s 3.29 million tonnes but up 7.4% year-on-year.