China Hongqiao Claims China Doesn’t Not Have Excess Aluminum Capacity

As a counterbalance to our article this week about proposed tariff changes intended to counter the flow of unwrought metal out of China, China Hongqiao, the world’s largest aluminum producer, is reported in the South China Morning Post rejecting concerns the Chinese aluminum industry has a major overcapacity problem.

In fact, in the words of Chief Executive Officer Zhang Bo, China’s high demand for aluminum and improving “self-discipline” in production and capacity expansion has already resulted in a much healthier state than some analysts’ believe. As in steel — and several other commodities — China’s position in the global aluminum market cannot be overstated, but unlike steel an export regime is supposed to keep excess production from being exported onto the world market.

China’s Aluminum Demand and Supply

Broadly speaking, up to a couple of years ago that held good. China accounts for some 53% of global demand of 30 million metric tons in the first half of this year and is self sufficient in primary aluminum although it does import bauxite and alumina, intermediate products.

Zhang Bo says given that the industry’s (in China) overall plant utilization exceeds 80%, and over 80% of the smelters are profitable, “nobody should have the idea that the industry is in major overcapacity.”

He also noted mainland China’s 8.6% year-on-year first-half aluminum demand growth has far outstripped output growth of just 1% with robust demand from the transportation, electronic and electrical markets this year. To be fair, China Hongqiao figures appear — on the face of it — to support his position. On Friday the group posted a 20.7% year-on-year rise in net profit for the first half to $510 million (3.28 billion CNY) as a 9% fall in selling prices was more than offset by a 25% growth in sales volume the article stated.

Nor is China Hongqiao an exception. The industry’s daily output volume has surged from a low of around 75,000 mt early this year to 90,000 mt now, not far short of last year’s highest levels, ANZ Senior Commodity Strategist Daniel Hynes is quoted as saying.

Earlier promises of smelter closures when prices were around $1,599/mt (10,600 CNY per mt) are now a distant memory, as prices have surged to $1,885.95/mt (12,500 CNY) today gradually idled capacity is being brought back into production. Nearly 200,000 mt of annual capacity having resumed in the second quarter and another 300,000 mt is due to come back in the third quarter, according to the SCMP.

Smelting Capacity Expands

Earlier targets to cut 4.5 million mt of outdated aluminum capacity, even if implemented, will be rapidly replaced by some 3.7 mmt-a-year of new capacity scheduled to come onstream in the second half of this year alone. China Hongqiao expanded its annual aluminum smelting capacity by 29.8% to 5.89 mmt in the 12 months to June 30, and Zhang expects it to reach 6.5 mmt by year-end.

China Hongqiao will, of course, talk up the market and downplay suggestions of excess production. The company’s share price has done well on a resurgent aluminum price and rising profits, the last thing Zhang Bo wants is talk of overcapacity.

China’s aluminum semis exports have reduced a little this year, suggesting domestic demand is robust and mills do not have such a pressing need to dump metal abroad as they did last year. Still, with such a dominant position in the global aluminum market a sneeze at home could easily result in a cold for smelters in the rest of the world.