Falling aluminum prices and higher raw material costs led to a larger than expected loss in the second half of 2012 for Aluminum Corporation of China (Chalco; ACH.NYSE, 601600.SHA), Bloomberg reported. The company, China’s biggest aluminum producer, reported a loss of US$801 million (RMB4.98 billion) during the period, an increase from a loss of about US$28 million in the first half of last year. Slowing growth in 2012 and regulatory restrictions on real estate led to slower growth in consumption of aluminum, Chalco said in a statement. The company’s total annual losses of US$1.32 billion exceeded the US$869 million average analyst estimate, based on a survey by Bloomberg.