China’s imports of unwrought aluminium and related products soared by 72.1% year-on-year in April, reaching 380,000 metric tons, according to customs data released on Saturday. This figure includes both primary metal and unwrought, alloyed aluminium.
From January to April, imports totaled 1.49 million tons, marking an 86.6% increase from the same period last year, based on data from the General Administration of Customs.
As the world’s largest consumer of aluminium, China experienced robust demand as factory output in April exceeded expectations. Aluminium consumption surged in the construction, transportation, and packaging sectors, with significant growth from the solar and wind power industries.
The sharp rise in imports this year is largely attributed to increased supplies from Russia. In the first quarter, Chinese imports of Russian aluminium reached 392,775 tons, a 127.7% increase from 172,526 tons during the same period last year. This trend is expected to continue following recent sanctions on Russian metals by the U.S. and Britain in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The rising imports have led to higher aluminium stockpiles in China. As of Friday, aluminium stocks on the Shanghai Futures Exchange stood at 231,765 tons, up 139.8% since the beginning of the year, nearing a one-year peak.
Additionally, bauxite imports, a key raw material for aluminium production, rose by 18.8% to 14.24 million tons in April. For the first four months of the year, bauxite imports totaled 50.5 million tons, reflecting a 6.2% increase from the previous year. 
