Data released on Monday by the International Aluminium Institute (IAI) indicates that global production of primary aluminum fell by 1.5% year-on-year in June, reaching 5.98 million tonnes. Output from the Gulf region saw a significant drop of one-third.
The Gulf region accounts for approximately 9% of the world's primary aluminum capacity. Two smelters in the region were attacked by Iran in late March during Middle East conflicts, which also disrupted their ability to ship aluminum products to export markets through normal channels.
The IAI reported that production in the Gulf region for June was 332,000 tonnes, substantially lower than the 507,000 tonnes recorded in the same month last year.
On a daily average basis, the region's output held steady at 11,000 tonnes per day compared to May. However, this level remains below the pre-conflict benchmark of 17,800 tonnes per day.
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) stated this month that its Al Taweelah smelter in Abu Dhabi, which underwent an emergency shutdown in March, has resumed production faster than anticipated. Nonetheless, it could take up to a year to return to its previous operational levels.
The institute also noted that the global daily average aluminum production in the previous month was 199,300 tonnes, showing a slight increase of 0.3% compared to May, which had one more day than June.
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