China’s imports of unwrought aluminium and aluminium products fell 17.4% year-on-year in June as an unfavourable import arbitrage reduced overseas purchases, according to customs data released on Saturday.
Imports declined to 250,000 metric tons, data from the General Administration of Customs showed. During the first half of 2026, imports totaled 1.88 million tons, down 5.1% compared with the same period last year.
The figures include primary aluminium as well as unwrought alloyed aluminium products.
Traders said overseas aluminium became more expensive than domestically produced metal during the second quarter as higher prices on the London Metal Exchange (LME) and rising physical premiums widened losses for Chinese importers.
The benchmark three-month aluminium contract on the LME climbed to a four-year high of $3,724 per ton in early June amid concerns over Middle East supply disruptions before ending the month nearly 16% lower.
Meanwhile, Russian aluminium producer Rusal redirected some cargoes away from China to Japan and other Asian markets, where buyers were willing to pay higher premiums.
Japanese aluminium buyers agreed to pay a premium of $395 per ton above the benchmark price for third-quarter shipments, an increase of 13% from the roughly $350 per ton premium paid during the second quarter.
Despite weaker imports, China’s exports of unwrought aluminium and aluminium products rose to a record high in June.
Imports of bauxite, the key raw material used in aluminium production, increased 12.6% year-on-year to 20.32 million tons in June. For the first six months of 2026, bauxite imports reached 120.93 million tons, up 17.4% from a year earlier.
Separately, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed China produced 3.98 million tons of primary aluminium in June, representing a 4.7% increase compared with the same month last year.
