The share of primary aluminum in Tajikistan’s exports has fallen nearly 5 times in decade ending in 2017.
In 2017, the Tajik Aluminum Company (TALCO) reportedly exported US$196.6 million worth of primary aluminum. Tajikistan’s exports last year amounted to 1.2 billion U.S. dollars, and therefore, the share of primary aluminum in the country’s exports last year was 16.4 percent.
In 2007, Tajikistan’s exports amounted to 1.468.1 billion U.S. dollars. In 2007, Tajikistan exported US$1.085.9 billion worth of primary aluminum, so the share of primary aluminum in the country’s exports in 2007 was 74 percent.
Production of aluminum
Over the same decade (2007-2017), production of primary aluminum reduced in Tajikistan four times – from 4119,000 tons in 2007 to little more than 103,000 tons in 2017.
Over the first nine months of this year, Tajikistan has reportedly produced more than 72,500 tons of primary aluminum, which was nearly 3,600 tons fewer than in the same period last year.
According to the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies (MoINT), decline in aluminum production has resulted from ongoing major repairs at the aluminum smelter.
Meanwhile, Tajikistan is expected to increase production of primary aluminum next year. In 2019, Tajikistan intends to produce 245,500 tons of primary aluminum.
The Tajik Aluminum Company (TALCO) is one of the ten largest aluminum smelters in the world. It consumes more than 30 percent 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. THz Tajik aluminum smelter has a rated capacity of 517,000 tons of primary aluminum per year. On April 3, 2007, TadAZ was officially renamed to TALCO – Tajik Aluminum Company.
