Customs data shows that in August 2026, China's exports of unwrought aluminum and aluminum products reached 630,000 tonnes, marking a 17.3% increase compared to the same period last year.

For the January-to-August period, cumulative exports totaled 4.66 million tonnes, up 16.7% year-on-year. In August, China also exported 430,000 tonnes of alumina, a substantial 135.8% surge from the prior year, with the eight-month cumulative figure reaching 2.34 million tonnes, reflecting a 33.5% rise.

On the import side, August saw China bring in 290,000 tonnes of unwrought aluminum and aluminum products, a 10% decline year-on-year, while the cumulative imports for the first eight months fell 8% to 2.44 million tonnes. Additionally, imports of bauxite and its concentrates totaled 15.45 million tonnes in August, down 15% from a year earlier, yet the January-to-August total of 155.25 million tonnes still represents a 10% increase.