Chinese exports of aluminium grew by over 25% in the January and February, Reuters reports, while those of steel fell by close to a third.
China now produces 817,000 tonnes of aluminium and 9.5 million tonnes of steel each year, according to the General Administration of Customs. This makes it the world’s largest producer of the two metals.
China has been using a combination of measures to curb overcapacity and pollution from their production. The official trade data released yesterday suggests that the effects have not been as expected with regards to aluminium.
Steel exports, on the other hand, have been declining steadily with growing local demand and government promises to shed overcapacity.