| China will eventually become a
net importer of aluminum but the timing of this shift is uncertain, the
chief executive of Rio Tinto Alcan said Thursday.
"It may take some time, but we believe
China will eventually turn into a net importer of aluminum, as it has for
bauxite and for alumina," Jacynthe Cote said. "The question is
when," she told a Metal Bulletin conference in Paris.
Cote said China won't become a
destabilizing market force as a significant net exporter of aluminum, and
noted cost pressures in China due to rising energy prices, and increased
power tariffs for industrial users in 15 Chinese provinces.
"Though we have not yet seen large
impacts (from these energy costs), we are watching the situation
closely," she said. "Growth will continue in the northwest part
of the country, but the coastal and central provinces will face
significant power price pressure in addition to concerns about bauxite and
alumina availability," she added.
Source: Dow Jones
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