This week, the weekly operating rate of leading downstream aluminum processing enterprises in China rebounded 1.1 percentage points MoM to 64%.

According to data from the Azerbaijani Statistical Committee, in the first two months of 2026, Azerbaijan produced 11,771 tons of aluminum products, a year-on-year increase of 30.4%. As of March 1, the country held 3,729 tons of finished aluminum products in stock. In 2025, Azerbaijan produced 50,893 tons of aluminum products, a decrease of 23% compared to 2024. Furthermore, according to data from the Azerbaijani Customs Committee, in the first two months of 2026, Azerbaijan exported a total of 12,900 tons of aluminum and aluminum products, with an export value of US$42 million.

According to the China Construction Machinery Association, in the first two months of this year, China’s export value of construction machinery products reached $10.686 billion, up 33.4% YoY.

[China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry: China’s Ship Product Export Value Reached $55.08 Billion in 2025] On March 11, according to the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry, China’s ship product export value reached $55.08 billion in 2025, up 26.7% YoY. Among this, the combined export value of the three mainstream vessel types—bulk carriers, oil tankers, and container ships—was $30.46 billion, accounting for 55.3% of the total export value.

According to a Bloomberg report cited by Mining.com, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune inaugurated a jointly constructed railway, which is crucial for this OPEC member's large-scale development of iron ore and represents one of its initiatives to diversify the economy. The opening of this railway enables the Gara Djebilet iron ore mine, located near the border between Algeria and Morocco, to ship its first cargo, a project that has been in the making for decades. The Algerian National Mining Company (Sonarem) is the main participant in the project. This new railway line, built by Algerian state-owned enterprises, connects the remote iron ore mine with the cities of Tindouf and Béchar Province. From there, an existing railway line links to the Mediterranean coast and the city of Oran, where Turkish Tosyali Holding operates a steel plant. Algeria is an important natural gas supplier to Europe, with oil and gas accounting for three-quarters of its export value and half of its fiscal revenue, but it is highly susceptible to energy price fluctuations. Therefore, the country is seeking other sources of income and is currently attempting to vigorously develop the mining industry.

[Latest data from the General Administration of Customs] In November 2025, China's exports of copper-zinc alloy (brass) bars and rods amounted to 290.39 mt in physical content, with an export value of $2.7157 million, up 17.32% MoM but down 73.11% YoY. From January to November 2025, the cumulative export value reached $38.4105 million, declining 38.82% YoY. (HS codes: 74072111, 74072119, 74072190).