China Boosts Aluminium Exports as Middle East Disruptions Constrain Global Supply
China recorded a sharp increase in aluminium exports in May, supported by tighter global supplies following disruptions to production and shipping routes in the Gulf caused by the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
Data released by Chinese customs authorities on Tuesday showed that exports of unwrought aluminium and aluminium products reached 632,000 metric tons in May, representing a 5.68% increase compared with the previous month.
For the January–May period, outbound shipments of unwrought aluminium and related products totaled 2.69 million tons, up 10.4% from the same period a year earlier.
The strong May performance surpassed April’s export levels, which had already reached their highest point in at least twelve months, extending a trend of rising shipments since the outbreak of hostilities.
The conflict has significantly impacted the Gulf’s aluminium industry. Damage to two major production facilities, combined with the effective closure of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz shipping corridor, has reduced regional supply. The Gulf region is responsible for approximately 8% of global aluminium production.
According to figures from the International Aluminium Institute (IAI), primary aluminium production in the Gulf fell to 330,000 tons in April, its lowest monthly level in more than ten years. Output was down 35% compared with April 2025.
Worldwide primary aluminium production declined by 2.1% year-on-year to 5.92 million tons during the month. In contrast, Chinese production continued to grow, with estimated output rising 1.5% to 3.68 million tons, the IAI reported.
Meanwhile, exports of aluminium stranded wire—a category tracked separately from unwrought aluminium and aluminium products by Chinese customs—also surged in April. Market participants have increasingly explored using the product as an alternative export channel for aluminium, taking advantage of strong price gains and favorable tax differentials that have created profitable arbitrage opportunities.
