BEIJING — China's aluminum sector has registered steady output rise and improved profitability, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

In 2020, the output of aluminum rose 8.6 percent year-on-year to 57.79 million metric tons, while that of electrolytic aluminum gained 4.9 percent to 37.08 million tons, said the MIIT, citing data from the National Bureau of Statistics.

During the same period, alumina output edged up 0.3 percent year-on-year to stand at 73.13 million tons.

The aluminum price started to grow steadily since April last year, with the price in December surging by 15 percent year-on-year to hit a record high of 16,480 yuan (about $2,559.36) per tons, according to the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association.

The import and export value of aluminum products totaled $27.2 billion, up 3.4 percent year-on-year.

The aluminum industry will adopt a low-carbon development path, strictly control the new production capacity of electrolytic aluminum and promote the high-quality development of the industry, said the MIIT.