By: Reuters

Global primary aluminium output in June fell 1.5% year-on-year to 5.98 million metric tons, data from the International Aluminium Institute (IAI) showed on Monday, with Gulf production down by one-third.

Two smelters in the Gulf, which accounts for around 9% of global primary aluminium capacity, came under Iranian attack in late March as part of the conflict in the Middle East, which has also prevented them from shipping metal to export markets via their normal channels.

Gulf production was at 332,000 tons in June, down from 507,000 tons a year earlier, the IAI said.

On a daily basis, the region's production was flat from May at 11,000 tons, although still down from a pre-war baseline of 17,800 tons.

Emirates Global Aluminium said this month it was restoring production at its Al Taweelah smelter in Abu Dhabi more quickly than expected after an emergency shutdown in March, but that it could take up to a year to return to previous levels.

Globally, average daily aluminium production last month was 199,300 tons, the IAI said, up 0.3% from May, which had one more day.

(Reporting by Tom DalyEditing by Tomasz Janowski)