US May primary aluminum output down 37.8 pct yr/yr

NEW YORK, June 10 (Reuters) - The annual rate of primary U.S. aluminum production in May dropped 37.8 percent to 1,731,124 tonnes from 2,781,753 tonnes in May 2008, and was down 1.9 percent from April's annual rate of 1,764,641 tonnes, the Aluminum Association said on Wednesday. For the year through May, the annual production rate was off 31.2 percent at 1,904,246 tonnes from a 2,768,713-tonne rate in the comparable 2008 period, according to the industry association's report. Actual aluminum production for May came to 147,027 tonnes, more than April's 145,039 tonnes but well below 235,613 tonnes produced in May 2008, the association said. Actual production for the year-to-date through May came to 787,784 tonnes, down sharply from 1,149,848 tonnes produced in the same period of 2008, the report said. May's average daily production at 4,743 tonnes was lower than 4,835 tonnes in April, and well off the 7,600 average daily tonnes produced in May 2008, the aluminum group added. It also said average daily production was down in the first five months at 5,217 tonnes from 7,565 tonnes in the comparable 2008 period. The association said companies participating in the survey account for 100 percent of U.S. primary aluminum production.