The OECD release makes publicly available an extensive database of subsidy estimates across 15 industrial sectors over the 20-year period 2005-2024. These data show that industrial subsidies globally have been increasing in recent years, and in 2024 reached their highest level since the peak during the 2008-09 global economic crisis. While subsidies are pervasive across countries and sectors, firms based in China are much larger recipients than firms located elsewhere, while the most heavily subsidized sectors are solar panels, semiconductors and aluminum.

These new data reinforce earlier OECD analysis which outlined how China’s state enterprises are not just recipients of support, but are also major providers, particularly in the form of below-market finance by state banks. State enterprises are also more likely to benefit from preferential competition rules, public procurement practices, and forced technology transfers. Understanding this entire ecosystem - in which state support flows in many forms and in multiple directions across entire supply chains, and fundamentally reshapes markets - is essential for governments looking to ensure fair competition globally. Individual country trade defense measures, while welcome, are inadequate to address the scale, scope, and duration of China’s ecosystem of industrial support.

In welcoming the OECD release, Charles Johnson, President & CEO of The Aluminum Association; Paul Voss, Director General of European Aluminium; Jean Simard, President & CEO of the Aluminium Association of Canada; and Yasushi Noto, Executive Director of the Japan Aluminium Association highlighted the new data on subsidies to the aluminum sector.

“The truly groundbreaking work of the OECD over the past eight years has been as unique as it has been invaluable in providing much needed transparency around subsidies to the aluminium industry globally. This latest release shows clearly that for the past two decades China has been in a subsidy league of its own, providing very high levels of support to Chinese firms”:

• Over the period 2005-24, subsidies to the aluminum sector totaled USD 118.3 billion, of which China USD 101.4 billion (86% of total), OECD countries USD 5.4 billion, and RoW USD 11.5 billion;
• Subsidies in 2024 to the aluminum sector totaled USD 11.1 billion, of which China USD 10.2 billion (92% of total), OECD countries USD 399 million, and RoW USD 504 million;
• 2024 subsidies as a share of aluminum firm revenue were 4.4% in China, 0.5% in OECD countries, and 0.5% in RoW.

“As a result of these massive subsidies, in just 20 years China’s share of global primary aluminium output grew from 11% to 61%. This growth is continuing today, and is spilling over into production and export of semi-finished and high-value manufactured products containing aluminium, and even into aluminium recycling.”
 
“China’s subsidy-based dominance of global aluminium markets gives it excessive control over affordable and reliable access to this critical material, threatening national security across G7-plus countries. Collective action to offset China’s ecosystem of aluminium support, such as common tariffs on aluminium imports and restrictions on aluminium scrap exports, along with removal of unnecessary trade restrictions between G7-plus countries, is needed now. The aluminium industry associations representing the United States, Europe, Canada, and Japan are already working collaboratively to develop the interoperable aluminium import monitoring systems to underpin this collective action.”

“On behalf of our member companies and the 1.75 million workers they directly and indirectly support, we are committed to working with governments and with international organizations to build secure regional aluminium supply chains.”

For further reference: Aluminum industry priorities for international action in 2026