Tajikistan has reportedly increased primary aluminum exports.
The head of the Customs Service under the Government of Tajikistan, Abdufattoh Ghoib, noted that Tajikistan had exported about 73,500 tons of primary aluminum over the first six months of this year, an increase of 20% YoY.
Tajikistan exported 61,200 tons of primary aluminum in January-June 2015, up by 3.6% YoY. In January-June 2014, Tajikistan exported 60,000 tons of primary aluminum.
This year, the major trading partners for Tajik aluminum were Turkey (more than 52,300 tons and over 70.5$ of Tajikistan’s total aluminum exports), Taiwan (more than 16,500 tons), Iran (more than 4,100 tons), the Virgin Islands (288.2 tons), Uzbekistan (133 tons) and Pakistan (about 30 tons).
Last year, Tajikistan exported nearly 131,000 tons of primary aluminum, up by 6,000 tons YoY.
The Tajik Aluminum Company (TALCO) is one of the ten largest aluminum smelters in the world and provides up to 70% of the country’s foreign currency earnings, consuming 40% of the country’s electrical power. TALCO is wholly owned by the Tajik government. Tajikistan does not mine alumina but imports the raw material through tolling arrangements.
Construction of the Tajik aluminum plant (TadAZ) began in 1972, and the first pouring of aluminum took place on March 31, 1975. On April 3, 2007, TadAZ was officially renamed TALCO. (Asia-Plus/Business World Magazine)
