World Supply and Demand of Primary Aluminium Balanced in 2007

Japan Light Metal Welding & Construction Association estimated world primary aluminium production sums up to 35.931 million tonnes per year and the consumption to 35.936 million tonnes in 2007. The supply would become slightly less than the demand for 2 years in a row. The Association forecasted the supply exceeds the demand in 2008. World primary aluminium capacity utilization is expected to increase by 1.6 percentage points to 90.2% in 2007 from 2006. In China, annum primary aluminium production would grow up to 10.64 million tonnes in 2007, which would hit 10 million tonnes for the first time and is expected to increase to 12.75 million tonnes in 2009. The supply is forecasted to turn minus against the demand in and after 2008 in the country.European primary aluminium production is expected to recover to 4.699 million tonnes in 2007, which dropped by 170,000 tonnes in 2006 from previous year. The local production would exceed 5 million tonnes in 2008. Primary aluminium consumption is estimated to become to 7.089 million tonnes in Europe in 2007. The consumption would increase gradually.Among BRICs countries, primary aluminium production would increase to 4.2 million tonnes in Russia and to 11.25 million tonnes in India this year.