According to customs data, China's cumulative exports of aluminum and aluminum products (Chapter 76 of the Customs Tariff) from January to June this year amounted to 4.141 million tons, down 13.8% from the same period last year; the cumulative export value amounted to $17.5 billion, down 20.8% from the same period lastAccording to customs data, China's cumulative exports of aluminum and aluminum products (Chapter 76 of the Customs Tariff) from January to June this year amounted to 4.141 million tons, down 13.8% from the same period last year; the cumulative export value amounted to $17.5 billion, down 20.8% from the same period last year.
According to statistics by category, China exported a total of 2.6 million tons of aluminum in the first half of the year, down 18.5% year on year. Among them, aluminum plate and strip exported 1.393 million tons and 671,000 tons respectively, down 28.1% and 9.9% year on year respectively; aluminum extrusion material exported 533,000 tons, up 4.8% year on year.
In the first half of this year, China exported 1.35 million tons of aluminum products, up 3.0% year on year, and 466,000 tons of aluminum alloy wheels, up 5.6% year on year.
It is worth noting that from the summary table of China's main destinations for aluminum and its products exports in the first half of 2023, we can find that the exports of most major trading partners have declined.
Nine of the top 40 trading partners saw a drop in exports. Exports to the US fell by 25 per cent, to Mexico by 13.25 per cent, to South Korea by 14.7 per cent, to Japan by 3.2 per cent and to Vietnam by 15.7 per cent. The decline in exports to major EuropeanNine of the top 40 trading partners saw a drop in exports. Exports to the US fell by 25 per cent, to Mexico by 13.25 per cent, to South Korea by 14.7 per cent, to Japan by 3.2 per cent and to Vietnam by 15.7 per cent. The decline in exports to major European countries was also significant, but exports to India and Russia increased significantly.
Despite this, the US remains China's largest export market for aluminium and its products. In the first half of this year, China's cumulative exports to the US amounted to 323,300 tonnes, or 7.8 percent, and cumulative exports amounted to US$1.81 billion, or 10.43 percent. In fact, most of the aluminium products exported to Mexico and Canada also entered the US market after processing.
It is worth mentioning that before 2007, South Korea was the largest importer of Chinese aluminum products (accounting for about 16%), and then the United States surpassed it and became the largest importer of Chinese aluminum products (the EU is an organization) and has continued to this day.
In recent years, the overall number of aluminum products imported from China by various countries has been on the rise, which has undoubtedly aroused their protection psychology towards their own aluminum industry. They have adopted anti-dumping, anti-subsidy investigations and other means to reduce the import of Chinese products, but the effect seems not obvious.
In the past decade, the US launched "double anti" investigations on Chinese aluminum products:
Since 2003, thanks to China's participation in international free trade, aluminum and its products have achieved a continuous expansion of trade surplus. And despite the long-term anti-dumping and anti-subsidy policies of various countries, the export scale of Chinese aluminum products has been increasing, reflecting the high international competitive advantage of Chinese aluminum products.
However, due to the current lack of domestic demand, more risks and hidden dangers in key areas, and the complex and grim external environment, economic operation is facing new difficulties and challenges. Under the correct guidance of national policies and the continuous exploration and innovation of the whole industrial chain, aluminum processing enterprises need to strengthen technological innovation, improve product added value, and further improve international competitiveness, so as to make the aluminum industry one of the important industries for China's sustainable economic development.
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