Global Al Supply Tops Demand in 2008, Marubeni Forecasts

Japanese major trading house, Marubeni Corporation forecasts the global supply of primary aluminium would become surplus by 543,000 tonnes per annum against the demand in 2008. The firm prospected global primary aluminium demand would become 41.26 million tonnes per annum while the supply 41.803 million tonnes per annum in 2008. The demand is expected to increase by 9.5% compared with the estimated volume in 2007 while the supply to increase by 10%. Global primary aluminium supply would exceed the demand for 2 years in a row.Marubeni Corp forecasted global primary aluminium demand would increase by near 10% in 2008 compared with 2007. The demand is expected to increase in western countries, which would recover in USA and Japan and expand in China. The firm estimated global primary aluminium supply would increase by more than 10% in 2008 from 2007. The supply is expected to increase in all areas of the world, especially in China.Primary aluminium demand would increase by 3% to 6.981 million tonnes in North America in 2008 from 2007, by 2.1% to 7.225 million tonnes in Western Europe, by 2.6% to 2.377 million tonnes in Japan and by 22% to 15 million tonnes in China. The local supply is estimated to increase by 21% to 15 million tonnes in China in 2008 compared with 2007, the world largest producer of primary aluminium. The supply and demand would be balanced at the high level in China in 2008. In 2009 China is expected to become a net importing country of primary aluminium.