Brazil's May Aluminum Production Down 7.7% To 129,100 Tons
June 16 2009 - 11:07AM
Dow Jones News
Brazilian aluminum output fell in May as global demand faltered,
the Brazilian Aluminum Association, or ABAL, said in a statement
Tuesday.
Brazil's May aluminum production fell 7.7% from a year earlier
to 129,100 metric tons, ABAL said.
In the January through May period, Brazil's aluminum output was
644,600 tons, 5.6% lower than the same period in 2008, ABAL
said.
The largest producer in May was CBA, with 40,200 tons, followed
by Albras, a subsidiary of mining giant Vale SA (VALE), with 38,700
tons, and Alcoa (AA), which produced 27,300 tons.
BHP Billiton (BHP) output was 14,600 tons, while Novelis
produced 8,300 tons.
Valesul, another subsidiary of Vale, produced no aluminum at all
in May, compared to 7,500 tons in May 2008.
Vale has said high Brazilian energy costs did not make
production worthwhile at the Rio de Janeiro plant site.
However, there were some timid signs of recovery.
Of the three major producers, sector-leader CBA showed a 2.3%
rise in May output compared to the year-ago figure, while Albras
was down 0.8%, and Alcoa was off 13%.
-By John Kolodziejski, Dow Jones Newswires; 55-21-2586-6086;
John.Kolodziejski@dowjones.com