Primary aluminium is aluminium tapped from electrolytic cells or pots during the electrolytic reduction of metallurgical alumina (aluminium oxide). It thus excludes alloying additives and recycled aluminium.

Primary aluminium production is defined as the quantity of primary aluminium produced in a defined period. It is the quantity of molten or liquid metal tapped from the pots and that is weighed before transfer to a holding furnace or before further processing.

Note that primary aluminium production figures reported to the IAI by Russian Federation producers include quantities of alloying additives, but that these do not exceed 1% by weight of reported totals.

Further clarification can be found in the publication 'A Guide to the IAI Statistical System'.

The data included in this IAI Statistical Report have been derived exclusively from voluntary reports of IAI Member and non-Member companies. Neither sources outside the industry nor estimates are used.

The IAI Statistical System is designed to meet the requirement that, in general, individual company data be included only within appropriately aggregated totals by declared geographical areas and not be reported separately. The declared geographical areas and the primary aluminium producing countries which fall in those areas are as follows:

An asterisk indicates that primary aluminium production data were not reported to the IAI by the company or companies producing primary aluminium solely within that country. Dates given against a country indicate that data were reported or not reported, as appropriate, for the limited period shown.

The IAI considers the figures shown to be reliable, but they may be subject to revision.