Aluminum Corp of China (Chalco) has become the world's second-largest aluminium producer - overtaking Russian aluminium producer UC Rusal - by increasing output to 4.17 million tonnes, Fastmarkets understands.
Rusal produced 3.75 million tonnes of aluminium last year.Chalco's 15.5% year on year output increase came amid a "complicated and fickle market environment," chairman Lu Dongliang said in the company's annual report, referring to price volatility due to the US sanctions against Rusal as well as Sino-US trade frictions. "The supply and demand of aluminium was sluggish and fluctuated substantially... and the price went downward consequently."Fastmarkets MB's spot major Japanese ports aluminium premium shot to $180-200 per tonne in late...