World's leading aluminum exporters by country 2021

China is the world's leading exporter of aluminum and aluminum products. In 2021, China's aluminum exports were valued at 34.7 billion U.S. dollars, approximately 16 billion U.S. dollars more than Germany, the second-largest exporter at around 18.8 billion U.S. dollars.

China is dominating the global aluminum industry

Aluminum is one of the most abundant metals on earth; however, finding this metal in its pure form is uncommon. Generally, aluminum is produced by extracting the metal from bauxite ores which are the primary source of aluminum in the world. In 2022, China was the world’s second-largest producer of bauxite, with 90 million metric tons. This brings a natural opportunity for the country to control the entire production process, from bauxite mining to finished aluminum products. In 2022, China produced 40 million metric tons of primary aluminum, surpassing all other primary aluminum-producing countries.

Energy intensity of aluminum production

Extracting aluminum from bauxite is a highly energy-intensive process. Energy dependency on production makes aluminum a significant greenhouse gas(GHG) emitter worldwide. Even though Paris Agreement did not set specific regulations for reducing GHG emissions in the sector, decarbonizing the industry took part in the companies’ main agenda. Rio Tinto, one of the major producers, emitted 25.9 million metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2021. This was the lowest emission level recorded in the last ten years.