Aluminium is produced in large number of countries including the United States, Russia, Canada, the European Union, China, Brazil and India. As per the International Aluminium Institute, global production of aluminium amounted to 38.8 million tonnes in 2008. Statistics from CRU, a business analysis and mining consultancy group, reveal that the chief contributors to production were Asia (45%), Europe (25%) and North America (15%); China alone accounted for 34% of total global production.

Global consumption of aluminium was almost 38 million tonnes at the end of 2008 according to CRU. The chief aluminium consumers were Asia (54%), Europe (24%) and North America (16%). China remained the foremost aluminium consumer accounting for over 33% of global consumption while Western Europe followed with a share of 18%.

The global market for aluminium flat rolled products was estimated at around 17.8 million tonnes in 2007. Rapid expansion was witnessed in this segment on the back of growth in construction, packaging and transportation sectors in China, India and other emerging markets. The Middle East has emerged as a key market for aluminium extrusions.

Industry usage statistics from the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) showed that the transportation sector was the chief user of aluminium with a 28% share. Transportation was followed by construction (20%), packaging (18%), electrical (11%), machinery (10%) and other sectors (13%).