In May 2026, China’s primary aluminium imports fell while exports rose. While import sources remained heavily concentrated with Russian material still ranking first by volume, export flows diversified significantly across Asian markets. Total exports rebounded sharply month-on-month, though year-on-year declines remained notable due to a high base effect, with shipments to South Korea recording an explosive increase.
According to customs data, domestic primary aluminium imports reached approximately 208,200 tonnes in May, marking a decrease of 6.72 per cent compared to the same period last year and a substantial drop of 21.55 per cent from April. Cumulatively, imports for the first five months of 2026 totalled about 1.1193 million tonnes, reflecting a 5.84 per cent increase year-on-year.
On the export side, volumes recovered to around 22,200 tonnes, down 31.59 per cent year-on-year but surging 42.31 per cent month-on-month. The January-May exports stood at 75,700 tonnes, up 13.0 per cent year-on-year. Consequently, net imports for May were approximately 186,000 tonnes, down 2.49 per cent year-on-year and 25.54 per cent month-on-month, bringing net import figure for the first five months of 2026 to 1.0436 million tonnes, a 5.36 per cent increase.