At this year’s conference, we are looking to bring clarity. With Supply Side Reform, environmental protection, tariff wars, anode coke shortages and crazy gyrations in prices, it’s more important than ever to be ahead of the curve. This conference would not be possible without the help and support of our major sponsor These are the broad objectives we at AZ China have for this conference. Whatever your own objectives are, we wish you a successful, informative and rewarding conference. Best regards, Paul Adkins AZ China Ltd
Wednesday Sept 19 3pm – 7pm Registration desk open 5pm – 7pm Welcome Reception Thursday Sept 20 9.00 - 9.05 Welcome, housekeeping items – Paul Adkins 9.05 – 9.15 Official opening of Conference – Ron Knapp, Secretary General, International Aluminium Institute 9.15 – 10.00 Key note speaker – China: Is the Walk Matching the Talk? The main theme of this conference is to bring clarity to the audience about what is going on in China and how China’s economic and strategic direction might inform or deform the aluminum industry. Our guest speaker today will look at China’s vision for itself, its economic agenda, the role of debt, and its true plans regarding supply side reform and environmental clean-up. How will China’s external relations colour its domestic agenda? How will debt change the course of economic growth? What are the greatest risks to continuing growth and prosperity for the industry and for the market? Our guest speaker will give us some clarity on these questions. Key Note Speaker: Anne Stevenson-Yang 10.00-10.20 Morning coffee 10.20-11.30 Panel Session 1: The Big Issues China produces 55% of the world’s aluminium, and consumes almost as much. But China has only 25% of the world’s population. This is but one aspect of the big issues confronting the aluminium industry. Environmental restrictions, Supply Side Reform, Tariff and trade wars, energy policy and the war on use of coal as a fuel, and the pressure on China from some quarters to reduce subsidies and over-capacity – these are just some of the big issues the panel will discuss.
11.30-12.30 Panel Session 2: Aluminum Technology The recent announcement of a new carbonless technology has caught everyone’s attention, but while its potential is huge, other technological advancements have helped reduce carbon consumption, reduce costs and improve efficiency. Our panel today looks at technology and aluminium. 12.30 – 2.00 Lunch 2.00 - 2.45 Panel Session 3: The market The aluminum market is both a physical source of raw materials for manufacturers, and a financial play for traders. The relative influence of financial plays and speculators can have a huge effect on the physical market, and vice versa. How can physical producers and consumers maximise stability? And how can market speculators find the differentiator to maximise profit? And how do the two sides work together? 2.45 – 3.30 Panel Session 4: Bauxite & Alumina There are many issues need examining in this area. This year China has become an exporter of alumina, but for how long? China has been cooling its primary metal industry, but we are seeing a plethora of new alumina projects – what’s the end game? China is increasingly relying on Guinea for bauxite, but is it too dependent on one country so far away and with a volatile history? Meantime, China is also cracking down on the domestic bauxite mining sector, even as the quality of domestic bauxite continues to decline. What’s the outlook for domestic bauxite? 3.30 – 3.50 Coffee Break 3.50 – 5.15 Panel Session 5 : The Industry So far, we have heard from market players, traders, investment bankers, and other experts. But what about the industry – without them we wouldn’t have any aluminium. What are the challenges facing producers today? What innovative solutions are you employing? R&D into future