RUSAL sees global demand for aluminum rising 3.7% in 2019

MOSCOW, Mar 7 (PRIME) -- Russian aluminum giant UC RUSAL expects global aluminum demand to rise 3.7% on the year to 68 million tonnes in 2019 as the market recovers from the trade wars and after supply crises of July–December 2018, the company said in a statement on Thursday.

In 2018, global demand for aluminum grew 3.6% to 65.6 million tonnes, and demand in China gained 4.6% to 35.8 million tonnes. RUSAL expects China’s demand for the metal to grow 5.1% to 37.6 million tonnes in 2019 supported by state stimulation of lending and of capital investment. Markets outside China will suffer from a heavy deficit of aluminum this year, the company said.

Last year demand for primary aluminum in Russia and the CIS states went up 9.9% to 1.1 million tonnes, and it may increase to 1.20–1.25 million tonnes in 2019 supported by expansion of the construction materials and power distribution industries, RUSAL said.

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